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CENTENNIAL HISTORY
^-
Read at the Centennial Celebration^ ^oX
'^ 18??
OF THE
"'0/i/ cfo#/^ J/^/f 01, 0^'
BY ISAAC S MUCKER
NEWARK, OHIO;
CLARK A UXDERWOOD, PRINTERS.
1876.
NOTE. — The following historical sketch of Licking County
was prepared, pursuant to a resolution of Congress, adopted, March
13, 1876, which provided for Centennial County histories, throughout
the United States; a measure w^hich was also commended to the
people by the President in a Proclamation, bearing date May 35, 1876.
The Licking County Agricultural Society, approving of the
resolution and proclamation aforenamed, and promptly adopting the
suggestion of the " Ohio State Board of Agriculture," procured the
preparation of the following Centennial Sketch of Licking County,
and Jiad it published in the style in which it is herein presented. The
important and voluminous facts, incidents and figures presented, and
the mass of valuable information given, must make the "sketch" of
permanent value to all who have any interest in our County; it is,
therefore commended to the public favor.
CENTENNIAL HISTOR^■
OF
LICKING COUNTY. OHIO,
THE MOUND-BUII.DERS.
A hundred years ago! and Lickino; County had no existence as
an organized community. Then, and for a score of years thereafter,
the entire territory now constituting it, was without a sohtary perma-
nent white inhabitant — it was indeed a " waste, howling wilderness! '"
True, the mysterious and prehistoric race of mound-builders had
l)een here. They had erected their works and transmitted to us their
memorials, which are the only evidence we have that here they once
lived, moved and had their being. But they were gone — the white
man never saw them! They had their rise, their successes and tri-
umphs, their decline, their probable defeat and overthrow, or per-
chance, their disi:)ersion, absorption or extermination, long years —
perhaps many ages — before the historic period of the Ohio Valley, and
of the Lake country of Western America. Here peradvcnture. with-
in these walls and this enclosure, was their seat of Empire. Here
they had thrown up many miles of embankments — here they had
built numerous walls of circumvallation — here were their parallel and
circular earthworks, their octagonals, their parallelograms and those
of various other geometrical figures. Here within the present terri-
torial limits of Licking County, and in all sections and in ever\
portion of it, they erected hundreds of mounds of earth and stone,
including the general classes of Sepulchral, Sacrificial, Temple or
truncated mounds, Memorial or Monumental mounds, and mounds
of Observation. Here, too, Effigies or Symbolical mounds exist, as
well as Enclosures of large extent and of great variety as to form, de-
sign, and purpose.
CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF
Symbolical Mounds probably served a purpose in the religious
services of the mound-builders.
Mounds of Observation were in all probability " out-looks " or
"signal stations."
Sepulchral Mounds were of course used for burial purposes.
Sacrificial Mounds were those upon which animals and perhaps
human beings were offered as a sacrifice to propitiate the gods of the
idolatrous mound-builders.
Temple Mounds were used as Temples or "high places " on
which were performed some sort of religious ceremonies.
Memorial or Monumental Mounds belong to a class that are
supposed to have been erected to perpetuate the memory of some
important event, or in honor of some distinguished character.
Enclosures were constructed for various purposes, some being
military or defensive works; some were works in which the cere-
monies of their religion were conducted; others for the practice of
their popular amusements or national games; still others perhaps for
Governmental, Legislative or some sort of Civic purposes and perfor-
mances. The Enclosure we occupy to-day, on this Centennial
occasion, is probably one of the class in which the rites pertaining to
the national religion of the mound-builders were practiced, the
''Eagle mound" in its center, with its sacrificial altar favoring this
idea; though it may have also served as the place in which to practice
their national games and amusements; and being one of their most
extensive works, may possibly have been the seat of their govern-
ment. Least likely of all is it that it was designed for military
purposes.
Although the plow has often, hereabouts, rudely passed over the
remains of our prehistoric ancestors, and partially or wholly obliter-
ated many of their parallel walls and embankments, their enclosures
and mounds, it is yet a gratification to know that enough of their
works remain to leave our county still, as it has hitherto been, one
of the richest fields of architological interest and pursuit — one of the
most inviting localities for antiquarian investigation. Above all it is
a matter of special congratulation that no Vandal hands can ever be
laid upon these embankments within which we are celebrating the
first Centennial of American Independence; yea more, that it is one
of the irrevocable stipulations by which you, the Licking County
Agricultural Society hold the title to them that they shall never be
mutilated, partially obliterated or destroyed, thus furnishing a guaran-
tee for the perpetual preservation of one of the most extensive and
Licking county, OHid. 5
interesting; works ever erected by the unknown and now extinct
mound-builder race. Let it be ever remembered that the tenure up-
on which this Enclosure is held is that its embankments shall be per-
petually protected against the mutilating, obliterating hands of the
plowman, and against the destructive proclivities of the iconoclast.
And let it be the fixed determination of the present and future gener-
ations to protect against future mutilation what remains of the exten-
sive, interesting labyrinthian works of the mound-builders in this
locality.
Before the beginning of the Centennial period we are closing to-
day, few, very few persons of Anglo-Saxon or Caucassian ances-
try had ever passed through, or even entered the territory that now
constitutes Licking County. Christopher Gist, an explorer in the
interest of a Virginia Land Company, with his guide or fellow-travel-
er, George Croghan, passed through the southeastern portion of our
County in 1751, and were the first (of whom we have authentic in-
formation,) of the white race that did so. The}' followed an Indian
trail that led from the " Forks of the Ohio," (now Pittsburg,) to the
Miami Indian towns, situated in the Miami Valley. In passing
through thev encamped at the Reservoir, on the evening of January
17th, and on the next day, they "set out from the Great Swamp," as
Gists' journal says.
And in 1773 Rev. David Jones, a baptist preacher from the
vicinity of Philadelphia, who afterwards became known as a historic
character of rare eccentricities, with David Duncan an Indian trader,
and two others, passed through what is now Licking County. They
left " Standing Stone," now Lancaster, (where was then a village of
the Delaware Indians,) on Wednesday, February, 10, and passing
near bv the "Great Swamp" or "Big Lake," as the Indians called it,
they crossed the Licking river, ("Salt Lick Creek," Jones' journal
named it,) some miles below the junction of the North .tnd South
Forks, and remained over night at an Indian village on the Bowling
Green, a locality which was declared "fertile and beautiful," in the
journal of our eminent missionary tourist.
A hundred years ago, and for nearly a score of }'car8 thereafter,
this localitv, this central portion of the Great Northwest, was in the
midst of the wild arena on which raged, (and had raged for almost a
quarter of a centurv,) the furious contest between Barbarism and
Civilization. A century ago and the sole occupants here were the
savage Red men of the forest, the fierce and untamed beasts of the
desert, and those huge birds of prey that instinctively recede before
CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF
the advancing waves of Civilization, and retire to darker shades be-
fore the steady, forward movements of civiHzed man. The Delawares,
the Shawancse, and the Wyandots had here, a century ago, a moix'
or less permanent residence; and perchance the wanderers of other
straggling tribes too, had here, sometimes erected their wigwams, and
thus, temporarily at least, attained to a "local habitation and a name."
And doubtless here too, during the earlier years of the Centennial
period which closes to-day, these woods, "many a time and oft," re-
sounded with the heavy tread of buffalo heixls, and no less with the
movements of the more stately elk. Then too, the ferocious panther,
the ravenous bear, the rapacious wolf, the treacherous, wily cat-
amount, the stealthy wild-cat, the voracious eagle, and the other birds
of prey, with the deer and various wild though docile animals, were the
almost unmolested tenants of our forests. Then these woods echoed
and re-echoed the wild scream of the panther, the doleful screech of
the birds of night, the cry of the king of birds uttered from his lofty
eyrie, or when sailing in mid-heaven, the howling of the starving
wolf, the bellowing of the mad buflalo, and the terrific shrieks and
discordant sounds of other wild and untamed beasts, and of savage
man! Such, a century ago, was the music of these woods — such the
dreariness, the desolation then of these solitudes!
THE INDIANS.
During the first decades of the Centennial period, now termina-
ting,the Indians had certainly two villages, perhaps more, within the
present limits of Licking County. Mention has been incidentally
made ot one jointly occupied by Delawares and Shawanese, which was
situated on the Bowling Green, four miles below the junction of the
North and South Forks. The other was a Wyandot village, called
Raccoontown, and was situated on Raccoon Creek, a short distance
above Johnstown, in the present township of Monroe. The Indians
sold their town to Charles and George Green in 1807, and immediate-
ly abandoned it, though a remnant of them remained within the
county some years later. A few Wyandots who had erected some
huts on the Brushy Fork, on the borders of Granville and McKean
Townships did not leave finally, until 1812. "Here wild in woods
the treacherous savage ran," as the poet has it — here during the
earlier decades of this Centennial period, the Indians erected their
solitary huts, put up their frail wigwams, and built their villages; but
like their predecessors, the mound-builders, they Jire all gone!
LICKING COUNTY, OHIO.
A few years ago, while excavating an abutment on the east l^ank
of BowHng Green Run, near its mouth, seven skeletons, some of tliem
of undoubted Indian type, were uncovered, together with trinkets,
beads, curiously shaped polished stones and silver thimbles. As the
Bowling Green Indian village was m the near vicinity of these skele-
tons, it is probable that they were the skeletons of residents of the
aforesaid village.
In these my concluding remarks on our savage predecessors, it
may be observed to their credit that we have no reliable information
that charges upon them the crime of murdering any of the white race
within the territory that now composes Licking County, ncn" even of
the commission of many serious offenses against person or proiDerty.
There is one exception only to the foregoing statement, related
by B. C. Woodward, Esq., which charges the wounding of one man
and the killing of another in 1796, within the present limits of Han-
over Township, on or near the farm owned not long since bv the
late Jacob Freese.
EXTENT, TOPOGRAPHV, STREAMS, &C., &C.
The extreme width f)f Licking County is twenty-two and a half
miles, from North to South, thirty miles from East to West. These
dimensions would give our County 67^ square miles of territory; but
as the original surveyors of 1796 failed to give us a straight line on our
Northern boundary, we lost a strip of sixteen miles in length, and
about three-fourths of a mile in breadth, which blundering careless-
ness reduces our figures to 663 miles. We also lose a tract of nearly
two miles bv two and a half in extent, at the Southeast corner of the
County, which still further reduces our territory almost five square
miles, leaving us a sum total of only 658 square miles.
The Eastern half of Licking County is generally characterized as
hilly, and only moderately productive, yet nearly all cultivable:
while the Western half is level or rather undulating, and with a verv
small proportion too uneven or steep for the plow. It is beautifully
diversified liy hill and dale — by high, irregular ridges and level plains
—by sterile hills and fertile, alluvial bottoms — by the rough " hill
country " of the eastern half of the county, and by the level and un-
dulating lands of the western half. The eastern half is varied here
and there bv beautiful landscapes, by high peaks, dark glens,
inaccessible bluffs, cavernous dells, abrupt acclivities, rugged hill-sides,
craggy cliffs such as are found on the "Flint Ridge," at the "Lick-
ing Narrows," along the Rockv Fork, and in some other localities.
CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF
There are few Prairies in Licking County, one in Washington
Township, and another a mile west of Newark, being the hirgest.
The latter, however, which, previous to the earthquakes of 1811-12,
served the purpose of a race-course, subsequently became a pond or
lakelet. Swamps and ponds are not by any means numerous in
Licking County, and what we have are of inconsiderable proportions.
Of Lakes we have but two. '' Smoots' Lake," in the Northern part
of the Countv, and the "Reservoir," on tlu Southern boundary, por-
tions of which are in the Counties of Fairfield and Ferry. Springs
are numerous, but with few exceptions, of small size — the most
notable exception being the " Spencer Spring."' In early, or pioneer
times its flow of water was sufficient to propel the machinery of grist
and saw-mills. It is about five miles North of Newark, and empties
into the North Fork a mile from its source.
Of running streams our County is abundantly furnished, the
principal being the North and South Forks, and the Raccoon Creek,
or Middle Fork, which all unite at Newark and form the Licking
River, which empties into the Muskingum river at Zanesville. The
minor streams are the Wakatomika, the Rocky Fork, the Otter Fork,
the Clear Fork, the Lake Fork, the Brushy Fork, Clay Lick Creek,
Ramp or Auter Creek, Hog Run, Lobdell Run, Bowling Green Run,
and many others of smaller magnitude. The aforementioned are all
tributaries of the Licking, except Wakatomika, which empties into
the Muskingum, sixteen miles above Zanesville. A portion of the
surplus rain that falls on the Southeastern border of our County also
finds its way into the Muskingum by way of the Moxahala or Jona-
than's Creek, whose mouth is two or three miles below Zanesville.
All the surplus water of Licking County therefore, runs into the Mus-
kingum, except such as flows from the Western border, by way of
the Walnut, Black Lick and Big Walnut Creeks into the Scioto.
All the streams of Licking County still abound, to a considerable
extent in fish of varit)us kinds, though they were larger in size and
o-reater in numbers in the times of our early settlers, except possibly
in the Reservoir, or "Big Lake" as the Indians called it, where fish-
ing is still largely successful, both as an amusement and for profit.
As indicating the size attained by the fish known as the j^ike, in the
Licking, in the days of the Pioneers, I give the following facts:
Capt. Elias Hughes once speared a pike, which, when hung on a
nail near the top of his cabin door reached to the fioor. Isaac Stad-
den, Esq., also once shot a pike at " High bank," in the Licking,
which measured more than five feet. A stick was run through the
LICKING COUNTY, OHIO.
gills and placed upon his shoulder, to carry him home, he proved to
be of such length, that when thus carried his tail dragged upon the
ground. Indeed it was quite a common event for our early settlers
to spear or shoot pikes of from three to five feet in length.
A few localities in Licking County on account of geographical
position or topographical peculiarities, possess more than an ordinary
degree of interest. One of these is "Flint RKlge," situated in the
Southeastern portion of our county, and extending some distance in-
to Muskingum County. The extreme length of "Flint Ridge" from
East to West is about seven miles, and has an average width of
probably two miles. It is extensively covered with the mound-build-
ers "wells" or "pits" — flint and buhrstones also greatly abound,
the latter having been largely used by mill owners in early times, as
a substitute for the French buhr, for making flour, and especially for
grinding corn. Cannel coal has been found in the ridge, and has
been mined to a considerable extent during the last forty years. Fire
clay, and clay for the manufacture of stone ware also abound there.
The " Licking Narrows " is another of the localities of more than
common interest in our County. When first discovered by our
pioneer settlers, it was regarded as one of the most picturesque places
in Ohio. It was a romantic, gloomy gorge, of about two miles In
length, through which flowed the Licking river, its western extremity
being near the mouth of the Rocky Fork, eight miles below
Newark. Clift's of rocks about sixty feet high compose its Northern
bank, while its Southern bank, which is more sloping and of less
height consists of earth and rock, and a heavy growth of trees. The
Licking has here a width of about a hundred feet, and trees which
grew on its banks, had, when the " Narrows" were first explored by
white men, such a luxuriant growth, that the branches of trees which
stood on opposite sides of the stream, run together and intermingled
in many places, so that the grape vines that grew on one side were
carried into the tree-tops of those on the other side, thus giving the
" Narrows," during the season of full foliage, a dark, gloomy, cavern-
ous appearance.
On the face of the perpendicular rock on the north side of the
" Narrows," was inscribed, what was popularly called the " Black
Hand." It was twice the size of a man's hand and wrist, with dis-
tended thumb and fingers, pointing eastward. It was near the east-
ern end of the " Narrows," and some ten or fifteen feet fi-om the
ground. The general impression seeme;d to be that this famous
"hand" had been chiseled or scratched out with a sharp-pointed
lo CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF
flint chisel, the hollowed grooves thus chiseled out forming its shape,
and that the ''hand'" had become blackened by the action of the
elements, or that the growth of a thick coat of black moss had given
it its color, as contradistinguished from the general color of the
rock, which was of a grayish cast. This curious "hand" was
destroyed in 1828, by blasting the rock on which it was inscribed, in
order to make the tow-path for the Ohio Canal, which, by a lock at
the head, and a dam at the foot of the " Narrows," made the Licking
river slackwater, and as such a part of the Ohio Canal.
Other landscapes and localities of romantic interest in Licking
County, might be named in this connection, such as the "Rain
Rock " near the Rocky Fork, and also the glens or dells and moun-
tainous features of the hills and banks of said stream, at various points,
but I will not go into detailed descriptions of them.
The localities west of Newark, between the North and Middle
Forks of the Licking, known as Sharon Valley and Welsh Hills,
which were first settled by immigrants from Wales, during the early
years of this century, also have points of rare interest and landscape
beauty, but I must forego details.
UNITED STATES MILITARY LANDS. REFUGEE LANDS.
Nine-tenths or more of Licking County is situated within the
old United States Military District, and is, therefore, to that extent
composed of United States Military Lands — that is lands set apart by
Congress in June 1796, for the payment of certain claims of the offi-
cers and soldiers for services rendered during the Revolutionary war.
The narrow strip of two and a half miles wide, along the Southern
border of the County belongs to the Refugee tract — a tract of land
dedicated by Congress in April 1798) to the payment of the claims of
those refugees whose possessions in Canada and Nova Scotia had
been confiscated by the British Government, upon the alleged ground
that their owners had abandoned them and had joined the Colonists
in their struggle for Independence.
The United States Military Lands amounted to 3,650,000 acres.
The tract was bounded on the East by the West line of the seven
Ranges; on the South by Congress lands and by the Refugee tract;
on the West liy the Scioto river; and on the North by the Greenville
treaty boundary line.
The Refugee tract was four and a half miles wide, and forty-
eight miles long, extending Eastward from the Scio.to river, and ecu-
LICKING COUNTY, OHIO. n
taincd 100,000 acres. The villages of Gratiot, Linnville, Amsterdam,
Jacksontown, Hebron, Brownsville. Luray and Kirkcrsville are near
to or upon the North line of the Refugee tract. Etna and Bowling
Green Townships are Avholly within it; and the vSouthcrn portion of
Harrison, I^nion and Licking Townships are also in the Refugee
tract.
OUR CI\II, HISTORY.
The Territory which now constitutes Licking Count}, was with-
in the limits of Washington County, (the first Countv organized in
the Northwest Territory,) from 17SS until 1798, when, by the organi-
zation of Ross County, it became a portion of it, and so remained
until the year iSoo, when, Fairfield County being established, it was
thrown into it, and continued to be a portion of said County until
1808, when the organization of Licking County wms effected; we
have therefore had Marietta, Chillicothe, Lancaster and Newark for
our County seats, and in the order named.
The first Territorial Legislature of the Northwest Territory met
at Cincinnati, September 16, 1799, and Ross County's representa-
tives in that body, were, Edward Tiffin, Thomas Worthington,
Samuel Findlay, and Elias Langham, and their only constituents
jiving within the present limits of Licking County, were the families
of Elias Hughes and John Ratliff, consisting of twenty-two persons.
The second session, with the same representatives, was held at
Chillicothe, in November 1800. The third session, (with the same
representatives, except Samuel Findlay.) met at Chillicothe, Novem-
ber 23, 1801.
Our Territorial Delegates in Congress were General William H.
Harrison, who served from 1799 until iSoo. William McMillan
succeeded him but served only until 1801, when Paul Fearing took
his seat as such and served until 1803.
In November 1803,. a Constitutional Convention was held at
Chillicothe and formed the first Constitution for the State of Ohio.
We were at that time part and parcel of Fairfield County, and that
County was represented in said Convention by Henry Abrams and
Emanuel Carpenter.
THE FIRST SETTLERS AND EARLIEST SETTLEMENTS OF LICKING
COUNTV.
The first permanent white settlement made within the present
limits of Licking County was effected in 1798, by Elias Hughes and
12 CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF
John Ratlift'. They came to the BowHng Green, (now in Madison
Township,) on the Licking, from Western Virginia and were the
only settlers until early in the 3'ear iSoo. The two families spent the
preceding year at the " Alouth of the Licking," and in the Spring of
179S they ascended said stream some twenty miles, and there squat-
ted, both families numbering, upon their arrival, twenty-one j^ersons.
During the year 1799 ^ son was born to Elias Hughes, thus increas-
ing the colony to twenty-two.
Captain Hughes had been a frontiersman all his life, and had at-
tained to a good degree of prominence, in his native State, before
leaving it, as a skilful hunter, a brave soldier, a reliable spy, and as a
most daring and successful Captain- of Scouts. He had been in the
sanguinary battle of Point Pleasant, in 1774, and for more than twenty
years thereafter he had served efficiently, on the Western borders of
Virginia, in the hazardous employment of Spy or Scout. In 1796-7
he was attached, as a hunter, to the surveying party that run the
Range and Township lines of the United States Military lands in this
section. He lived until 1844, dying at the age of about ninety years,
and had been for a long while, the last and only survivor of those
who had actively participated in the hard-fought battle of Point
Pleasant, between about one thousand Virginians, commanded by
General Andrew Lewis, and perhaps as many Indian warriors under
the leadership of the celebrated Cornstalk, a Shawanese Chief.
John Ratliff's wife died in 1802, and was probably the first white
adult person whose death took place within our county. During the
same year, October 32, 1S02, the wife of Mr. John Jones, who lived
near the Raccoon creek, four miles West of Newark, died. The first
deatli was that of an infant child of John Stadden, whose birth and
death occurred in the latter part of the year 1801. The first marriage
within the limits of Licking County, was that of the parents of the
aforesaid child, ( John Stadden and Elizabeth Green,) which took
place on Christmas day in the year 1800. John Ratliff died on the
South side of the Licking, near the mouth of the Brushy Fork, about
or in the year 181 1. A few of the descendants of Hughes and Ratliff
still reside in Licking County.
SETTLERS OF THE YEAR iSoO.
In the year 1800, Benjamin Green, and Richard Pitzer settled on
the Shawnee Run, two miles below the junction of the North and
South Forks, having come from AUaghany County, Maryland. In
LICKING COUNTY, OHIO. 13
the same year Captain Samuel Elliott, from the same County, settled
half a mile above them. And in the same year Isaac Stadden, an
emigrant from Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, settled half a
mile above Captain Elliott. His brother John, an unmarried brother,
accompanied him. He remained unmarried, however, only until the
Christmas of this year. And it was during this year also, that John
\"an Buskirk left Brooke County, Virginia, and settled upon a thirty-
one hundred acre tract of land he had purchased, situated in the
Vallcv of the South Fork, (now in Union Township,) some eight
miles or more above the mouth of the South Fork. He served as a
spy many years, between the Ohio and Tuscarawas rivers, for the
protection of the frontier settlers, and in that capacity was eminently
useful. He was frequently attached to expeditions commanded by
Captains Samuel Brady and John McCulloch, those eminent protec-
tors of the pioneer settlers between the Alleghanies and the Ohio
river. His death occurred December 31, 1840. Isaac Stadden was
the first civil officer elected within the limits of our County. At an
election held in January 1802, at the cabin of Captain Hughes,
he was chosen a Justice of the Peace of Licking Township, then
Fairfield County, and Elias Hughes was elected Captain of Militia at
the same time and place. John Stadden became the first Sheriff of
Licking County in 1808 and served as such, and as Collector of taxes
until 1810. Captain Elliott was elected Coroner of the County of
Licking in 1808 and served as such for a score of years or more. He
had been a soldier in the Revolutionary war. His death took place
in May, 1831, in his eightieth year. Benjamin Green lived until 1835,
dying at the age of seventy-six years.
Isaac vStadden, late in October, 1800, left his cabin one day, to go
to Cherry Valley, to shoot deer. He came home in the evening,
greatly excited, having discovered the Old Fort, of which he had not
heard before. Next morning he and Mrs. Stadden, visited this
interesting relic of the Mound-builders, and riding all around it on the
top of the embankment, where it was practicable, they took a good
look at this great curiosity, and so far as is known he was the first
white man, and she the first white woman that ever looked upon this
ancient work of a prehistoric people.
Another incident of this year. In November, or early in Decem-
ber 1800, Isaac Stadden was deer hunting near this spot, in the
direction of Ramp or Auter Creek. There, towards evening around
a camp-fire, in the dense forest he met John Jones, Phineas Ford,
Frederick Ford, Benoni Benjamin and a Mr Denner. Jones and the
14 . CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF
Fords were married to the sisters of Benjamin. Jones was of Welsh
ancestors, born in New Jersey, but had lived in the neighborhood of
Stadden, in Pennsylvania, where they had been schoolmates. Neither
knew that the other was in the Northwest Territory. They had not
seen each other for many years, and knew nothing of each others
intervening history or whereabouts. The romantic interest of such a
meeting, under such circumstances, by Stadden and Jones, cannot be
readily described — it must be imagined rather. Jones with his
associates, were exploring, with a view to an early settlement, and
they did settle in a few months, Jones in the Raccoon Valley, and
his associates in the Ramp Creek Valley. The entire company
accepted Mr. Stadden's invitation to visit him at his cabin, and did
so, soon, and it was represented to the writer, sixty years after, by
Mrs. Stadden, that said visit and its incidents, were among the most
interesting and enjoyable events of her long Pioneer life.
THE SETTLERS AND SETTLEMENTS OF iSoi.
The year 1801 brought with it quite a number of settlers. John
Larabee ascended the Licking river in a canoe to the mouth of the
Bowling Green Run, where he landed, and near that point on the
South side of the Licking, he occupied a hollow sycamore tree, while
he cleared some land, and raised a few acres of corn. He served
throughout the whole Revolutionary war, and probably also in the
Indian wars afterwards. Mr. Larabe died February 6th, 1846, aged
four score and six years. James Maxwell came up the Licking with
Mr. Larabee, Jolm Weedman and a Mr. Carpenter. Maxwell was
the first school teacher, and made that his life-long profession. He
was also our first constable, having been elected to said office, Janu-
ary I, 1802, at the same time and place of the election of Captain
Hughes, and Isaac Stadden, Esq. Samuel Parr this year settled on
the Licking bottoms just below the junction of the North and South
Forks. James Macauly and James Danner located themselves near
the mouth of Ramp Creek, where the first named built a "tub-mill"
or " corn-cracker," the first water power concern within the present
limits of our County. Phillip Barrick settled near the "Licking
Narrows." John Jones built his cabin in the Raccoon Valley, five
miles from the mouth of Raccoon Creek, and Phineas and Frederick
Ford and Bcnoni Benjamin theirs in the Ramp or Auter Creek
Valley, some miles from the mouth of Ramp or Auter Creek. Phillip
Sutton, Job Rathbone, and John and George Gillespie settled in the
Hog Run Valley. In September of this year, John Edwards came
LICKING COUNTY, OHIO.
to the South Fork Valley, from Brooke County, Virginia. He was
distinguished as a hunter and an expert with the rifle, having been
engaged as a spy for some years on the frontiers of Virginia, as well
as the Northwest Territory. In coming he blazed the trees and
killed the game for their subsistence, while others cut out the road
where necessary, and still others followed with the wagon which
contained his family and household efiects.
THE SETTLERS AND SETTLEMENTS OF l803.
The year 1S02 brought us many immigrants. Alexander Holmes
and James Hendricks cj'.me from Brooke County, Virginia, and
settled in the South Fork Valley near the residence of their brother-
in-law, John \"an Buskirk. Theophilus Rees, David Lewis, David
Thomas, James Johnson and Simon James came this year, most of
them settling on the Welsh Hills. Jacob Nelson settled in the Lick-
ing Vallev, and not long thereafter built a mill, a mile or more below
the junction of the North and South Forks. Newark was laid out
this year by General W. C. Schenck; and Abraham Miller, John
Warden and Henry Claybaugh came from the South Branch of the
Potomac, and settled in its immediate vicinity. Michael Thorn,
Frederick Mver, and Henry Neff' located at or near the Little Bow-
ling Green, on the Southern borders of the County, during this year.
They were from the Monongahela countiy, in West Virginia. Adam
Hatfield, James Black, Richard Parr, Samuel Elliott, Henry Clay-
baugh, Samuel Parr, and Samuel Elliott, Jr., built and occupied
cabins in Newark this year, except the younger Elliott, who probably
had a tenant in his. The senior Elliott built the first hewed log house
with shingled roof. Black kept a tavern on the lot now occupied bv
the Park House. Beall Babbs, James JeflVies and Mrs. Catharine
Pegg, settled in or near Newark during this year. Jonathan Benja-
min, father-in-law of John Jones and the Ford brothers, located on
Ramp or Auter Creek, in the Spring of 1S02. He had passed
through the French and Indian wars, and through the Revolutionary
war also, and had been a frontiersman from his youth up. Mr.
Benjamin died in iS4i,at the great age of one hundred and three
years! Patrick Cunningham, Abraham Johnson, Abraham Wright,
James Petticord, Edward Nash, Carlton, Benedict, Aquilla, and two
John Belts settled about and in Newark, except Cunningham, who
first lived neighbor to John Jones, having built the second cabin
within the present limits of Granville Township. He was from
i6 CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF
Tyrone County, province of Ulster, Ireland; the others were from
Washington County, Penns)'lvania. A considerable colony from
Brooke County, Virginia, also settled in the South Fork Valley.
SUBSEqUENT SETTLERS AND SETTLEMENTS UNTIL 1 S09.
After the year 1802, the influx of new settlers increased from
time to time, and new settlements were made from year to year..
In 1803, John Evans settled in the North P'ork \"alley, seven
miles North of Newark, and in the Spring of the same year Evan
Payne and Jacob Wilson located in the same valley about a mile
above the mouth of the North Fork. They, as well as Evans were
Virginians. John Simpson, Robert Church, William Sahamahorn,
Richard Jewell, Edward Crouch, William and John Moore, Thomas
Seymour and William O'Banon settled within the present limits of
Madison Township, during this year also.
In 1804 Thomas Cramer, Simon James, and Peter Cramer settled
on the Welsh Hills. Evan Humphrey, and Chiswold May settled
near the "Big Spring," now in Newton Township. Daniel Thomp-
son, Samuel Enyart and Matthias and Hathaway Denman located in
the present Township of Hanover. Moses Meeks, William Harris,
Charles Howard and John and Adam Myers located about the "Little
Bowling Green." Maurice Newman settled in Newark. John and
Jacob Myers, Daniel Smith and James Taylor came to the South
Fork Valley; and Henry Smith, John Channel, and Thomas Deweese
located in what is now Madison Township.
In 1805 settlements were made on the upper waters of the South
Fork, now in Lima Township, David Herron being the first settler.
In the same year, (or early in 1806,) a Mr. Hatfield settled within
the present limits of Harrison Township; and George Ernst, John
Feasel and John and Jacob Swisher formed a settlement near the
source of Swamp Run, now in Franklin Township. In November
of this year, (1805.) the Granville Colony arrived and established
themselves at and around the village of Granville. General John
Spencer also settled in the Spring of this 3'ear, in the North Fork
Valley, five miles north of Newark. When he settled at the " Big
Spring," he found in the vicinity a man named Evan Humphrey,
quite an eccentric character, who served his country in the Revo-
lutionary war, and who was also of the " forlorn hope," at the storm-
ing of Stony Point, in 1779 by General Wayne. Rev. Joseph
Thrap settled within the present Township of Hanover; and
LICKING COUNTY, OHIO. 17
Elisha and John Farmer settled a few miles west of Newark during
this year.
In 1806, the upper valley of Raccoon Creek, now Monroe
Township, was settled by George W. Evans, and soon thereafter by
Charles and George Green. Henry Drake also located in the upper
valley of the South Fork, now HaiTison Township, during this year.
Chester and Elisha Wells and John Hollister settled near the mouth
of the Rocky Fork. Samuel Hand, James Holmes and David Benja-
min settled in the South Fork Valley. Evan Fugh and Archibald
Wilson settled North of Newark in North Fork Valley. The upper
Valley of the North Fork, now Burlington Township, was settled by
James Dunlap, Nathan Conard and others. William Hull and Isaac
Farmer located this year in the vicinity of the Flint Ridge.
In 1807 John Cook Herron built and occupied a cabin in the
Raccoon Valley, now St. Albans Township. Granville Township,
Fairfield County was organized this year. It embraced the Western
half of the present County of Licking, except, I believe, the Refugee
lands. Licking Township, embracing the eastern half, with the same
exception.
In 1808, Joseph Conard settled in the North Fork Valley, near
the present village of Utica. He came from Loudon County, Vir-
ginia, and was the first settler within the present Township of Wash-
ington. In this year, (180S,) the County of Licking was organized
with the following persons as its first Judicial and County Officers :
President Judge of Common Pleas Court — William Wilson.
Associate Judges — Alexander Holmes, Timothy Rose, James
Taylor.
Clerk of Court — Samuel Bancroft.
Sheriff — John Stadden.
Treasurer — Elias Oilman.
Commissioners — Archibald Wilson, Elisha Wells, Israel Wells.
Collector of Taxes — John Stadden.
Commissioners' Clerk — Elias Oilman.
Assessor of Licking Township — Archibald Wilson, Jr.
Assessor of Granville Township — Jeremiah R. Munson.
The 'first Court was held at the house of Levi Hays, four miles
West of Newark and two miles east of Granville. There not being
room in the house, the Grand Jury held its inquest under a tree.
During the year a board of Commissioners consisting of James Dun-
lap, Isaac Cook and James Armstrong, selected Newark as the per-
manent County Seat.
i8 CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF
OUR FIRST JUDGES AND CLERK IN 1808.
William Wilson was a New Englander, educated at Dart-
mouth College, and had settled at Chillicothe as an Attorney at
Law. He presided at the first Court held in Licking County in 1808,
and remained on the Bench until 1823, when he was elected to Con-
gress, and served four years and until his death in 1827.
Alexander Holmes came from Brooke County, Virginia, in
1802. He was a gentleman of considerable natural ability — of gen-
eral intelligence and extensive information — and was of the better
educated class of our Pioneers. Judge Holmes sat upon the Bench
as an Associate Judge from 1S08 to 1S12, and again from 1823 to
1828.
Ja:mes Taylor was bcjrn in Pennsylvania, in 1753. and after his
marriage in 1780, he moved to Western Virginia. In 1782 he was in
the Williamson expedition against the Moravian Indians on the
Tuscarawas, and had the honor of voting, with seventeen others,
against the murder of their Indian captives, but without avail. Judge
Taylor served as Associate Judge only from 180S to 1809. He had
served his country during the Revolutionary war, and was a man
of character and intelligence. His death took place in 1844, at the
advanced age of ninety-one years!
Timothy Rose was one of the original Granville Colony of
1805, not one of whom now survives. He was an Associate Judge
from 180S to 1813, when he died. Judge Rose was a high-toned, in-
tellectual and intelligent gentleman, and a man of high character, of
sound judgment, and undoubted patriotism. He served in the
Revolutionary war, and distinguished himself as an officer, at the
storming of a British redoubt, at the surrender of Cornwallis, at
Yorktown in 1781.
vSamuel Bancroft was the first Clerk of our Court in 1808.
He was of the original Granville Colony, arriving in the Spring of
1806. He was a soldier in the w^ar of 181 2, served as a Magistrate
many years, and was an Associate Judge from 1824 to 1845. -^^ '*■
citizen and a public officer, he was held in high esteem. He was
born in Massachusetts, in 1778, and died in 1S70, at the age of ninety-
two years.
new settlements from 1S09 to 1S21, INCLUSIVE.
In 1809, Henry lies settled within the present limits of Jicnning-
LICKING COUNTY, OHIO. 19
ton Township. In iSio, the Wakatomika Valley was first settled by
Samuel Ilickerson, followed next year by James Thrap. Daniel
Poppleton rendered a similar service within the present limits of
Hartford Township, in the year i8i3. Joseph and Peter Ileadly
started a settlement on the head waters of the South Fork, (now in
Jersey Township,) in 1815. Etna Township too, was settled in 1815,
if not a little earlier, by John Williams, the Housers and other.s.
Isaac Essex settled there in 1816. In the year 1818 David Bright
located in the Northeastern part of this County, and was the first
settler of Fallsbury Township, while in 1S31, Rena Knight built a
cabin and opened a clearing near the head of Brushy Fork, at a point
now in Liberty Township. Thus one locality after another became
settled, and finally fully occupied in every section of our County.
THE PIONEER PREACHERS AND CHl'RCII ORGANIZATIONS.
In 1803, a Pi'esbyterian minister named McDonald came along
and preached two sermons to the settlers in the Licking Valley. In
1803, Rev. John Wright also a Presbyterian preacher, delivered two
sermons in Newark. Thomas Marquis, another Presbyterian Minis-
ter, gave the people of Raccoon Valley a sermon or two during this
year. During the Autumn of this year. Rev Asa Shinn, of the
Methodist Church commenced preaching, as an itinerant minister, at
Benjamin Green's in the Hog Run settlement, and before his year
closed he there organized a society or Church, and that was the
original or Pioneer church organization in our County. He prob-
ably sometimes preached in Newark also; certainly his successors
on the circuit, Revs. James Qiiinn and John Meeks, did, and also
formed a small Church organization as early as 1805, which was the
second in our County. The Congregational Church of Granville,
organized before the Granville Colony left New England, was the
third religious society of Licking County, and the Methodist Society,
organized in 1806 or a little later, near the Bowling Green, was
probably the fourth. A JMethodist Society near the eastern borders
of this County, organized about the same time, and often ministered
unto by the Rev. Joseph Thrap, was most likely the next in order,
ai\d the fifth in number. The Welsh Hills Baptist Church was
organized September 4th, 1808, and was the sixth and next in order.
In the Autumn of the same year the First Presbyterian Church of
Newark was organized, and was the seventh in order, in the County,
although there mav have been a Methodist Church org^mized
so Centennial history of
earlier in the South Fork Valley. The only other of the early- time
Churches I mention is the Hog Run or Friendship Baptist Church
which was organized February' 20th, 181 1, and has had a good
degree of prosperity until now.
The Revs. Joseph Williams and James Axley were itinerating
Methodist Ministers in 1805. Rev Peter Cartwright preached to the
Methodist Societies in 1S06, as did also Rev. John Emmett. Rev.
James Scott, a Presbyterian Minister, also preached in Newark during
this j'ear. Rev James Hoge, of the same denomination visited and
preached to the people of Granville during the year, as did also Rev.
Samuel P. Robbins of the Congregational Church, and Rev. David
Jones, of the Baptist Church. In 1807, Revs. Joseph Hayes and
James King were the regular itinerant Ministers, who ministered
regularly to the Methodist Churches hereabouts. Sometimes, too
Revs. Jesse Stoneman and Robert Manly ministered to them, as did
also Rev. Levi Shinn. In 180S Revs. Ralph Lotspeitch and Isaac
Qiiinn were the regular Methodist preachers. Elder James Sutton
and Mr. Steadman appeared as Baptist ministers. Rev. Timothy
Harris a Congregational Minister took charge of the Church in
Granville this year and continued his ministrations until 1822. His
ordination there was conducted by Revs. Lyman Potter, Stephen
Lindley, Jacob Lindley, John Wright and James Scott. In 1809
Revs. Benjamin Lakin, and John Johnson were the Methodist itiner-
ants. Revs. Thomas Powell and John W. Patterson, (Baptists,)
commenced their ministerial services in Licking County. In iSio
the latter took charge of the Welsh Hills Church, and in the next
year of the Hog Run Church also. Rev. James B. Finle}' was the
Methodist itinerant of the year iSio.
THE FOLLOWING JS A LIST OF THE TOWNSHIPS OF LICKING COUNTY
THE DATE OF THEIR ORGANIZATION AND WHEN SETTLED.
TowxsHip.s WiiKN Organized. • When Settled.
1. Licking 1801 in Fairfield County 1801.
2. Granville 1807 " " 1801.
3. Hanover 1808 1801.
4. Bowling Green 1808 1802.
5. Union 1808 1800.
6. Newton 1809 1803.
7. Newark 1810 1801.
8. Madison 1812 1798.
g. Monroe 1812 1806.
LICKING COUNTY, OHIO. 3i
10. Washington l8i2 1808.
1 1. Franklin 1812 1805-
12. St. Albans 1813 1807.
13. Hopewell 1S14 1806.
14. Bennington 1815 1809.
15. Harrison 1816 1806.
16. Burlington 1817 1806.
17. Mary Ann. 1817 -. 1809.
18. McKean 1818 i8o6.
19. Hartford 1S19 1813.
20. Perry 1S19 18 10.
21. Jersey 1820 1815.
Eden 1822 1813.
Fallsburv 1S26 1818.
-7 ->
'J-
24. Liberty 1827 182 1.
25. Lima 1837 1805.
36. Etna 1833 1815.
CITY AND VILLAGE POPULATION.
Population of the City of Newark, and of the Towns and
Villages of Licking County, according to the Census of 1870, given
in the order of their numbers.
Newark 6698.
Granville , 1 109.
Hebron 478.
Pataskala, (first called Conine.) 463.
Jackson 438.
Utica, (first called Wilmington,) 384.
Brownsville 384.
Hanover 322.
Alexandria 303.
Kirkersville 295.
Etna, (first called Carthage.) 358.
Johnstown 341.
Hartford ^ 339.
Homer, (first called Burlington,) 326.
Columbia, (sometimes called Columbia Center,) 205.
St. Louisville 166.
Chatham, (first called Harrisburg,) i:;6.
Gratiot, (Licking County's portion,) i :;4.
22 CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF
Elizabethtowu 113
Jerse}' lOi
Linnville 100
Fredonia 99
Vanattasburg 7c
Appleton 56
Luray 55
Total 13,102
N. B. — Amsterdam, Toboso, Wagram, New Way, Fallsburg,
Boston, Moscow, Sylvania, Summit Station, Union vStation and per-
haps other villages were not separately enumerated, but were in-
cluded in the total population.
LICKING COUNTY TOWNS WHEN LAID OUT AND BY WHOM.
(Given in Chronological order.)
Towns. When Laid Out, Anu by Whom,
Newark 1S02 . . W. C. Schenck, J. N. Cummings and J. Burnet.
Granville 1806. .Licking Land Company.
Johnstown. . . 1813. .Henry Bigelow.
Utica 1814. .Major William Robertson.
Homer 1816. .John Chonner.
Hartford 1824. .Ezekiel Wells and Elijah Durfey.
Hebron 1827. .John W. Smith.
Jackson 1829. .Thomas Harris.
Fredonia 1829. .vSpencer Arnold, David Wood, Jr., and S. .Sliaw.
Gratiot 1829. .Adam Smith.
Brownsville. .1829. .Adam Brown.
Linnville 1829. . Samuel Parr.
Chatham 1829. .John Waggoner.
Elizabethtowni829. .Leroy, Beverly, Abner and Minerva Lemcrt.
Lockport 1830- James Holmes and C. W. Searle.
Moscow 1830. .Daniel Green and William Green.
Alexandria. ...1830. .Alexander Devilbliss.
Wagram 1831 . .(first called Cumberland) Jeremiah Armstrong.
Appleton 1832. .Titus Knox and Carey Mead.
Etna 1832 . .Lyman Turrill. [Pearson.
Jersey 1832- L. Hcadlcy, W. Condit, E. Beecher and A. D.
Kirkersville. . 1832. .William C. Kirker.
Luray 1832. .Adam Sane nnd Richard Porter.
LICKING COUNTY, OHIO.
Amsterdam . . 1S34. .George Barnes.
Sylvania ^^S^- Jesse and Abraham Gosnell.
St. Louisville. 1840. .John Evans.
Columbia. . . .1850. .John Reese, Steplien Childs and ISIark Richc\'.
Pataskala. . . , 185 1 . .Richard Conine.
Hanover 1853. .J. H. Hollister.
Toboso 1853. .William Stanbery.
Fairfield, Licking, New Winchester, Belfast, Exeter, Livings-
ton, and Mount Hope are ^■irtually extinct villages of Licking
County.
ToWNSHU'S Nu.MBKlU)!-' • WhEX
CIK IXHTBIT.ANT.S N.A.M KS OF FlEST SkTTLKKS IN E.v CH . SkUTLED,
Licking County. In 1870.
Bennington .... 907 . . Henry lies 1809.
Bowling (ireen 1043. .Michael Thorn, F. Myer and H. Neft\ . . 1S02.
Burlington 1061 . .James Dunlap, C. Vanousdal and others. 1806.
Eden 7S3 . . W. Shannon, J. Oldaker and E. Brown.. .1813.
Etna 1234. J. W^illiams, J. Crouch, Nelsons & Housers 181 5.
Fallsbury 865. .David Bright 1818.
Franklin S47. .George Ernst, the Switzers and J. Feasel.1805.
Granville 3137. John Jones, and Patrick Cunningham. . . . 1801
Hanover 1 165 . .Fiiilip Barrick 1801.
Harrison 1343 . Henry Drake 1806.
Hartford 1017. .Daniel Poppleton 18 12.
Hopewell 1009. . W. Hull, I. Farmer, S. Pollock and others. 1806.
Jerse\- i-53- -Joseph and Peter Headly and L. Martin. 1815.
Liberty 837. .Rena Knight and others 1821.
Licking 1388. .P. Sutton, J. Rathbone & J. & G. Gillespie . t8oi.
Lima 1643. . Hatfield, David and John Herron . . . . 1805.
Madison 959 . . Elias Hughes and John Ratlifi' ''798-
Marv Ann 804 . . Bush, a Virginian 1809.
McKean 990 . .John Price 1806.
Monroe 1119. .Geo. W. Evans, Chas. and Geo. Green. . . 1806.
Newark 7617. ■ Samuel Parr and others 1801.
Newton 1283 . .John Evans 1 803.
Perr}- 897. .vSamuel Hickerson and James Thrap 1810.
St. Albans. . ..i 1 10. John Cook Herron 1807.
Union I 855. .John Van Buskirk, the Ford's and others . i8cx).
Washington. . .1253. .Joseph Conard, John Lee and others 180S.
36,1 96
34 CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF
OUR CONGRESSMEN.
In Older to make this as complete a history of Licking County
as I can Within reasonable limits, I propose to present, in tabular
form, the names of the persons, with the titles of their ofiices and
time of service in the various State and County Offices, so far as our
County was identified with them, beginning with the members of
Congress who have represented districts of which Licking County
formed a part.
Jeremiah Morrow served from 1803 to 1813
James Kilbourn " " 1813 " 1817
Philemon Beecher " " 1817 " 1821
Joseph Vance " '" 1821 " 1823
William Wilson " " 1823 " 1827
William Stanbery " •' 1827 " 1833
Robert Mitchell " " " 1833 " 1835
Elias Howell " " 1835 " 1837
Alexander Harper " " 1837 " 1839
Jonathan Taylor " " 1839 " 1841
Joshua Mathiot " " 1841 " 1843
Heman A. Moore " " 1843 " 1844
Alfred P. Stone •' " 1844 " 1845
Columbus Delano " " 1845 " 1847
Daniel Duncan " " , . 1847 " 1849
Charles Sweetser " " 1849 " 1853
Edson B. Olds '' " 1853 " 1855
Samuel Galloway " " 1855 " 1^57
Samuels. Cox " " 1857 " 1863
John O'Neil " '^ 1863 " 1863
Columbus Delano " " 1865 " 18 '
George W. Morgan " " 1867 " 1871
Milton I. Southard " - 1873 " 1876
OUR ST.;-TE SENATORS.
Robert F. Slaughter served from 1803 to 18C
Jacob Burton " '• 1805 *' ISC
Elnathan Schofield " " 1806 " 181
Jacob Burton " " 1808 " 181
William Trimble " " 1810 " 181:
Robert F. Slaughter " " 1810 " 1811,
W^illiam Gavitt " ." 1812 " 1814
LICKING COUNTY, OHIO. 25
William Gass served from 1814 " 1815
William Gavitt " - 1815 " 1816
Mordecai Bartley " " 1816 " 1818
John Spencer "' " " ., 1818 " 1822
Jacob Catterlin " " 1822 " 1824
W^iUiam Stanbery " " 1824 " 1826
William W. Gault " " 1826 " 1830
Elias Howell " " 1830 " 1832
Benjamin Briggs •• " 1832 " 1833
Jonathan Taylor " " 1833 " 1836
William W. Gault " " 1836 " 1838
Richard Stadden " " 1838 " 1840
Burrill B. Taylor '^ " 1840 " 1842
James Parker "• - 1842 " 1844
Willard Warner " ^' 1844 " 1846
Samuel Winegardner " " 1846 " 1848
Samuel Patterson " " 1848 " 1850
John C. Alward " " 1850 " 1854
Charles Follett '' " 1854 " 1856
Daniel Gardner " " 1856 " 1858
William P. Reid " " 1858 " 1860
Thomas C. Jones " " I860 " 1862
John A. Sinnett " " 1862 " 1864
James R. Stanbery " " 1864 " 1866
^^' illard Warner, Jr., " " 1866 " 1868
. wis Evans " " 1868 " 1870
; mes R. Hubbcl " " 1870 " 1871
irly F. Poppleton " " 1871 " 1872
■hn B. Jones " '' 1872 " 1874
"^^^illiam P. Reid " " 1874 " 1876
imes W. Owens " " 1876 "
MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
\ V illiam Trimble served in first Session of 18U3
' •^)avid Reese " " " 1803
Villiam Gass " from second session in 1803 to 1805
■'.'hilemon Beecher " " " " " 1803 to 1804
'^pavid Reese " from 1804 to 1805
Philemon Beecher " " 1805 to 1808
-Robert Cloud " " 1805 to 1806
36
CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF
William W. Irwin served from 1806 to 1808
Alexander Holden " " 1808 to 1809
William Gass '■ " 1809 to 1810
Jeremiah R. Munson " •' . . . 1810 to 1811
William Gass " '^ 1811 to 1812
Edward Herrick '' " 1812 to 1813
William Hains " " 1813 to 1814
John Spencer " " 1814 to 1817
William W. Gault " " 1817 to 1 818
Anthony Pitzer " " ' 1818 to 1820
William W. Gault " '• 1820 to 1822
Augustine Munson " " 1822 to 1824
Stephen C. Smith " '' 1824 to 1825
Bradley Buckingham " " 1825 to 1826
Stephen C. Smith " " 1826 to 1827
William Hull " " 1827 to 182S
Jacob Baker " " 1828 to 1829
Benjamin Briggs " '' 1829 to 1830
Bryant Thornhill " " 1830 to 1832
Jonathan Taylor " " 1832 to 1833
Samuel D. King " " 1833 to 1834
William Mitchell " " 1833 to 1835
John Yontz " " 1835 to 1837
John Stewart " " 1836 to 1838
Isaac Smucker " '• 1837 to 1839
George H. Flood '' " 1838 to 1840
Walter B. Morris " " 1839 to 1841
Elisha Warren " " 1840 to 1841
Jonathan Smith " " 1841 to 1842
Isaac Green " " 1841 to 1843
Phelps Humplirey " " 1842 to 1843
Samuel White " " J 843 to 1844
Daniel Duncan " " 1843 to 1844
Presley N. O'Banon " " 1844 to 1845
Seth S. Wright " " 1845 to 1846
E. L. Smith - " 1845 to 1846
Jonathan Smith " " 1846 to 1847
Robert Fristo " " 1847 to 1848
Robert B. Truman " " 1848 to 1849
Noah Reed " " 1849 to 1850
Richard H. Yates '• - 1850 to 1854
LICKING COUNTY, OHIO. 37
John Bell served from 1852 to 1854
Alban Warthen " '• 1854 to 185G
A.E.Rogers " '• 1854 to 1856
John A Sinnett " " 185G to 1858
Charles B. Giffin " " 1856 to 1858
William B. Woods " " 1858 to 1862
William Parr " " 1858 to 1862
George B. Smythe " " 1862 to 1864
John H. Putnam " " 1864 to 1868
John F. Follett " " 1866 to 1870
WiUiam Parr " " 1868 to 1872
William Bell, Jr. " " 1872 to 1874
William D. Smith " " 1874 to 187
MEMBERS OF OUR CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTIONS.
Henry Abrams and Emanuel Carpenter in 1802
Lucius Case and Henry S. Manon in 1851 — 1852
William P. Kerr in Convention of 1873—1874
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTORS OF LICKING COUNTY.
Daniel Humphrey served in 1856
Isaac Smucker served in 1872
Edward M. Downer served in 1876
PRESIDENT JUDGES OF COMMON PLEA COl'RT.
William Wilson served from 1808 to 1822
Alexander Harper " " 1822 to 18.36
Corrington W. Searle " 1836 to 1843
Richard Stillwell " " 1843 to 1852
Rollin C Hurd " " 1852 to 1857
Sherman Finch " " 1857 to 1862
Thomas C. Jones " " 1862 to 1867
Jefferson Brumback " " 18G7 to 1869
Jerome Buckingham" " 1869 to 1870
Charles Follett " " 1870 to 1876
ASSOCIATE JUDGES.
James Taylor served from 1808 to 1809
28
CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF
Alexander Holmes served from
Timothy Rose "
Henry Smith "
Noah Fidler
William Hains "
Anthony Pitzer "
Zachariah Davis "
Alexander Holmes "
Samuel Bancroft "
William O'Banon
John J. Brice "
William Taylor "
Levi J. Haughey "
Daniel Martin "
Benjamin F. Myers "
Benjamin W. Brice "
William Hunter "
John Van Fossen "
Elizur Abbott "
Associate Judges were abolished by the Constitution
Probate Judges substituted.
1808 to 1812
1808 to 1813
1809 to 1823
1813 to 1823
1814 to 1816
1816 to 1818
1818 to 1825
1823 to 1828
1824 to 1845
1825 to 1839
1828 to 1829
1829 to 1842
1839 to 1843
1842 to 1849
1843 to 1850
1845 to 1847
1847 to 1852
1849 to 1852
1850 to 1852
of 1852, and
PROBATE JUDGES.
Daniel Humphrey who served from 1852 to 1858
Henry Kennon " " " 1858 to 1864
WiUiam H. Shirclifl' " " " 1864 to 1873
Waldo Taylor " " " 1873 to 1876
George M. Crasser " " " 1876 to
SHERIFFS.
John Stadden served from 1808 to 1810
Andrew Baird "
Andrew Allison '•
John Cunningham
William W. Gault
Elias Howell
William Spencer
Richard Stadden
.1810 to 1814
1814 to 1818
.1818 to 1822
,1822 to 1826
.1820 to 1830
.1830 to 1834
.1834 to 1838
LICKING COUNTY, OHIO. 29
William P. Morrison served from 1838 to 1840
Caleb Boring " " 1840 to 1844
William Veach " " 1844 to 1848
William Parr " " 1848 to 1852
William Bell " " 1852 to 1854
Hiram Tenney " " 1854 to 1859
William Bell " •' " 1859 to 1863
Jonathan E. Rankin " " 1803 to 1867
Jeremiah Silcr " " 18G7 to 1871
Elisha Williams " " 1871 to 1875
S. H. Schofield " " 1875 to 1876
CLERKS OF COMMON PLEAS COURT.
Samuel Bancroft served from ISOS to 1809
Stephen McDougal " " 1809 to 1816
Amos H. Caftee " " 1816 to 1837
Franklin Fullerton " " 1837 to 1844
Gilbert Brady " " 1844 to 1852
William Spencer " " 1852 to 1855
Rees Darlinton " " 1855 to 1858
Thomas J. Anderson " " 1858 to 1864
Samuel A. Parr " " 1864 to 1870
Isaac W. Bigelow " " 1870 to 1876
Sylvester S. Wells " " 1876 to
PROSECUTING ATTORNEYS.
From 1808 to 1832, Prosecuting Attorneys were appointed by the
Judges. Among those who in early times served in this office for a
longer or shorter period, were Major Jeremiah R. Munson, General
Samuel Herrick, Hons. Thomas Ewing, William Stanbery, Hosmer
Curtis, Charles B, Goddard and Corrington W. Searle, whose term
ended in 1832.
Joshua Mathiot served from 1832 to 1836
James Parker " " 1836 to 1840
Daniel Humphrey " " 1840 to 1850
Charles Follett ' " " ." 1850 to 1853
Harvey C. Blackman " 1853 to 1856
William B. Clarke " " 1856 to 1858
Gibson Atherton " " 1858 to 1863
Lucius^ase " " 1863 to 1863
30 CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF
Morgan N. Odell served from 1863 to 1867
James W. Owens " " 1867 to 1871
Samuel M. Hunter " " 1871 to 1875
Asbury Barrick '• " 1875 to 1876
COUNTY RECORDERS.
Thomas Taylor served
Amos H. Caffee "
Stephen McDougal "
Gilbert Brady "
James Parker "
James White "
Thomas J. Anderson
Jesse S. Green "
Isaac W. Bigelow "
W. E. Atkinson "
J. F. Lingafelter "
from 1808 to 1814
" 1814 to 1820
" 1820 to 1842
" 1842 to 1844
" 1844 to 1845
" 1845 to 1851
" 1851 to 1857
" 1857 to 1863
" 1863 to 1869
" 1869 to 1875
" 1875 to 1876
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS.
Archibald Wilson, Sr., served
Elisha Wells
Israel Wells
Timothy Spellman "
William Hains "
Samuel Stew^art "
Bradley Buckingham "
Augustine Munson "
William Stanbery "
William W. Gauit
Alexander Holden "
William Robertson "
Thomas McKean Thompson
Jacob Baker "
Alexander Holden "
Richard Lamson "
Chester Wells
John Crow "
Samuel Parr "
from 1808 to 1814
" 1808 to 1810
" 1808tol811
" 1810 to 1822
" 1811 to 1813
" 1814 to 1815
" 1814 to 1814
" 1814 to 1816
" 1815 to 1817
" 1816 to 1816
" 1817 to 1820
" 1817 to 1820
" 1822 to 1825
" 1823 to 1828
» 1824 to 1827
" 1825 to 1827
" 1827 to 1833
" 1827 to 1831
" 1828^0 1832
LICKING COUNTY, OHIO.
31
James Bramble served from .
John Crow " " .
Samuel Hand *' " .
Benjamin Woodbury "■ .
Jacob Baker " " .
Israel Dillc •' '^ ,
Levi J. Haughey " " •
Bryant Thornhill " " .
Archibald Cornell " " .
Thomas H. Fidler " " .
Isaac Green " " .
Carey McClelland " " ,
Henry Burner, Jr., " "■
Crandal Rosencrantz " .
Thomas Blanchard " "'
John Brumback " "
Leroy Lemert " *'
Jordan Hall
Daniel Gardner " ■■'
Benj. L. Critchet "
Lewis Lake " "
Willis Robbins
Valentine B. Alsdorf "
William Barrick '' "■
James Stone " ''
Michael Morath
Jacob Anderson " "
James H. Grant " ''
Ira A. Condit " "
James Pittsford " "
James Y. Stewart " "
A.J.Hill
Elias Padgett " " ,
Richard Lane " "
Fehx C. Harris
Joseph White " "
1831 to
1834
1833 to
1835
1833 to
1839
1834 to
1837
1835 to
1837
1837 to
1837
1837 to
1837
1837 to
IS43
1837 to
1843
1839 to
1841
1S41 to
I84I
1841 to
1845
1841 to
1844
1843 to
IS43
1843 to
1852
1844 to
1850
1845 to
1848
1848 to
I85I
1850 to
1855
1S51 to
1854
1852 to
1855
1854 to
1857
1855 to
IS56
1855 to
1858
1856 to
1858
1857 to
1863
1858 to
I86I
1858 to
IS65
1861 to
1867
1863 to
1869
1865 to
IS7I
1867 to
1873
1S69 to
1875
1 87 1 to
1876
1S74 to
1876
1S75 to
1876
CLERK OF COMMISSIONERS.
From 1808 to 1820 the Commissioners appointed their Clerks,
who discharged the duties i)ow performed by County Auditors. The
33 CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF
office of Clerk of Commissioners was abolished in 1S20 and that of
County Auditor created.
EHas Gihnan serv^ed as Commissioner's Clerk from. . . . 180S to 1809
Archibald Wilson, Jr., served from 1S09 to iSu
John Cunningham " " 181 1 to 1813
Amos H. Caflee " " 1813 to 1820
COUNTY AUDITOIiS.
William W. Gault served from 1830 to 1820
Stephen McDougal " - 1820 to 1825
John Cunningham " " ^'^25 to 1835
William Spencer "■ " 1835 to 1841
William P. Morrison '' " 1841 to 1844
Abner W. Dennis " " . . . .' 1844 to 1853
Thomas J. Davis " '' 1S53 to 1855
W^illiam B. Arven " " 1855 ^^ ^^57
Thomas J. Davis " " 1857 to 1S59
Wm. H. Winegardner " '•'• ^859 to 1861
Silas B. Woolson " " 1861 to 1865
William Bell, Jr., " " 1865 to 1871
William D. Morgan " " 187 1 to 1875
Corrington S. Brady " '• 1875 to 1876
COUNTY ASSESSOKS.
From the year 1808 to 1825, property was assessed by Township
Assessors. In the latter year a law was passed providing for the elec-
tion of County Assessors by the people, which remained in force un-
til 1841 when it was repealed and the old system of Township
Assessors again adopted. The following persons served as County
Assessors under the law of 1825:
James Holmes served from 1S25 to 1827
C. W. Searle and M. M. Caftee served in 1827
William Spencer served from 1827 to 1829
J. B. W. Haynes " " 1829 to 1833
John Stewart " " •^^33 to 1835
WiUiam Moats " "■ 1835 to 1841
COUNTY TAX COLLECTORS.
Tax Collectors were appointed by the Commissioners. From
1808 to 1827 they collected the taxes and paid them over to the
LICKING COUNTY, OHIO.
33
County Treasurer for disbursement. In 1827 the office was abolish-
ed and the duty of collecting the taxes was imposed upon the
Treasurer.
John Stadden served from 1808 to iSio
John Cunningham "
James Robinson "
John Cunningham "
Andrew Allison "
Jonathan Simpson "•
Jacob Little "
John Cunningham "
Nicholas Shaver "
Thomas Taylor "
Samuel Bancroft "
Elias Howell
1810 to 1812
" 1812 to 1812
" i8i3 to 1813
" 1813 to 1S16
" 1816 to 1817
" 1S17 to 1818
" 1818 to 1820
" 1820 to 1822
" 1822 to 1823
" 1S23 to 1824
" 1824 to 1827
COUNTY TREA.SURERS.
Elias Oilman served
John J. Brice "
John Cunningham
James Gillespie
Sereno Wright
Jesse D. Arven
John Stewart
William Moats
Thomas Holmes
Thomas Ewing
I. C. Ball
Thomas B. Pease
Lewis Evans
D. E. Stevens
L. A. Stevens
E. H. Ewan
from 1808 to 1810
" i8io to 1813
" 1813 to 1817
" 1817 to 1827
" 1837 to 1838
'' 1838 to 1840
" 1840 to 1843
'' 1842 to 1844
■' 1844 to 1852
" 1852 to 1856
" 1856 to 1858
" 1858 to 1862
'• 1863 to 1866
'■ 1866 to 1870
" 1870 to 1S74
" 1S74 to 1877
MARSHALS OR CENSUS-TAKERS.
Amos H. Caflee enumerated the inhabitants in 1820
Benjamin Briggs and Samuel English took the Census in 1S30
Isaac Smucker, Henry S. Manon, J. A. W. McCadden and
H. W. R. Bruner performed that duty in 1840
34 CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF
Enoch Wilson, E. D. Pratt, Hiram Wright and David Wilson
were the Deputy Marshals in iS^o
Levi J. Haughey, Henry S. Alanon, B. Sutton, James Pitzer and
J. M. McClelland took the Census in i860
C. B. Giffin, J. E. Rankin, Stewart Barnes, Aurelius Ballou and
others enumerated the inhabitants in 1S70
COUNTY SURVEYORS.
Elnathan Schofield, Samuel H. Smith and James Dunlap per-
formed the duties of Surveyor, while we were a portion of Fairfield
County; the first named serving from 1801 to 1804
Samuel H. »Smith served from 1804 to 1S07
James Dunlap " "' 1807 to 1812
Alexander Holmes " " 1812 to 1820
James Holmes '" " 1820 to 1828
Thomas H. Bushnell "' " 1828 to 1836
Timothy S. Leaeh " "" 1836 to 1847
Julius C. Knowles " "' 1S47 to 1850
David Wyrick " " 1850 to 1859
Z. H. Denman "' '' i8S9 to 186:;
G. S. Spring "' '" 1865 to 1867
A. R. Pitzer - " 1867 to 1874
George P. Wehh " " 1874 to 1876
COUNTY CORONERS.
Captain .Samuel Elliott was elected Coroner at the organization
of the County in 1808 and served nearly a ^core of years, when his
son, Alexander Elliott, succeeded and continued in the office by manv
re-elections. Captain James Coulter, Captain vSamucl II. Josephs
and John Lunceford \\ere the immediate successors of the Elliotts.
NUMliElt OI- INIIAKITANTS.
The following table gives the popuhition of Licking County at
each decennial period, according to the fetleral Census tables, since
the organization of the County, also of Newark:
In 1810 — 3-8^2. Newark about 200.
In 1820 — 1 1. 861. "" '' 450.
In 1830 — 20.869. '''^*' S)99-
In 1840—35.096. " " 3.705.
LICI^iNG COUNTY, OHIO. 35
In 1850— 3S.846. " •' 3.654.
In 1860 — 37.011. " " 4-67v
In 1870 — 36.196. " "' 6.698.
LANDS AXD K.\RMS.
The lands in Licking- County amount to 429,464 acres, of which
315.4:^4 acres are cuhivated, and 111.861 acres arc uncultivated. Of
the cultivated portion 124.134 acres are devoted to pasturage, and of
the uncultivated portion 94.19:; acres are woodland. The whole
number of farms in the County is 2,692. The taxable \alue of the
lands is i)!i5.729.783.
TOTAL TAXABLE VALUE OF LICKIXG COUXTV PROPERTY.
The taxable value of the property of Licking County, last year,
amounted to $27,088,271. The true value, including all the property
exempt from taxation, and estimating the remainder at its full value,
would probabl}- exceed $40,000,000. The total amount of taxes cob'
lected in Licking Count}* last year was $320,397.89 cents.
DOMESTIC ANIMALS.
The following table gives a list of the domestic animals in Lick-
ing County, and their assessed value, for the year 187 =>.
Horses. . 12.550 — valued at $838,514
Cattle . . 23.489 — " " 507-954
Swine. . 26.854— " " i35-i44
Sheep. .240.771 — '• '• 771.927
Mules. . 1S6 — " "• 12.793
The Wool produced aggregated i. 091. 677 pounds, a quantity
surpassing that of any County in Ohio, and perhaps any County in
the United States. It is a matter of pride and exultation with our
agriculturalists that Licking County stands first in rank among the
Counties of Ohio, in the number and value of Sheep, and in the
quantity and value of wool produced.
PRODUCTS OF LICKING COUNTY IN 1874.
\Vheat 27.039 acres, producing 353)054 bushels.
Corn 46,866 " " 2,000,009 "
Oats IO-434 *' " 152,873 ''
36 CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF
Rye hHO " " 9.595
Buckwheat.... 553 " " 5)^39 "
Barley 36 " " 1,625 "
Timothy 29,931 " " 23,177 Tons of hay.
Clover 4,597 " " 3,866 " " "
Flax. 144 " " 985 bushels seed.
Clover Seed i)722 " "
Potatoes I5591 " " 110,420 bushels.
Sweet Potatoes 11 " " 850 "
Sorghum .... 122 " " 9,500 gallons syrup.
Maple Sugar. 4,521 pounds of sugar and 7,103 gallons of molasses.
Meadow 34,528 acres, producing 27,043 tons of hay, and 1,722
bushels of clover seed.
VINEYARDS.
Grapes — 11 acres producing 44,875 pounds of grapes, and 206
gallons of wine.
ORCHARDS.
In 1874 there were 6,475 ^cres devoted to fruit culture, produc-
ing 193,836 bushels of apples; 20,361 bushels of peaches; and 1,887
bushels of pears, besides quinces, plums, cherries, and other fruits.
DAIRY PRODUCTS.
Our dairy products in 1874, amounted to 9,500 pounds of cheese,
and 881,888 pounds of butter.
MANUFACTURES.
The manufacturing establishments in Licking County, number
124, in which are employed 696 workmen — the capital invested there-
in is $705,085, and the products last year amounted to $1,236,198.
TURNPIKE AND CANAL.
Twenty-five miles of turnpike, being the National Road, running
through our County, near its southern borders, and the same num-
ber of miles of the Ohio Canal, both constructed between the years
LICKING COUNTY, OHIO. 37
1825-1835, arc the sum total of those khuls of internal improvements
within the limits of Licking County.
RAIL ROADS.
There are in Licking County 67 miles of Rail Road, as follows:
Straitsville Division of the Baltimore and Ohio road 10 miles.
Central Ohio " " " " " " 33 "
Northern " " " " " " 13 "
Pittsburgh, Cincinnati & St. Louis Rail Road 12 "
Total 67 miles;
to which will be added, at an early day, some 30 miles of the
Atlantic and Lake Erie Rail Road, now in rapid process of comple-
tion through our County, then making the whole number of miles of
Rail Road in Licking County but little less than 100.
EDUCATIONAL.
Thirteen thousand two hundred and seventy-one (13,271) pupils
were enumerated, and 10,411 were enrolled during the last year, in
the Common Schools of Licking County. The number of School
Houses within the County is 210, having an estimated value of
$148,575. The list of School Houses includes the Union or High
School edifices of Newark, Granville, Utica, and other places of
minor importance. They range in value from a very few hundred
dollars, to $20,000, several in Newark exceeding in value the latter
sum. The number of teachers employed during the last year was
418, (167 males, and 251 females,) who received for their services
$58,801. The total school tax raised during the year was $77'3°*-*-
We have also, two Female Seminaries and one College, (Denison
University,) in all of which many hundreds of our youth of both
sexes, have been educated during the last forty years. Many of the
graduates of these very respectable institutions of learning attained
to a high degree of Scholarship, and distinction in Literature, the
Arts and Sciences. Not a few of those who obtained their parch-
ments from the last named institution reached eminent positions at
the Bar, in the Pulpit, in Legislative Halls, in Senate Chambers, on the
Judicial Bench, in Learning, in Science, Belles-Lettres and in various
learned professions and pursuits. And perhaps no less lea'"ned were
the numerous Seminary graduates, and certainly not less successful
38 CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF
were they in the profession of Teaching, and in other pursuits in
which they employed their talents and education.
Those Seminaries and College are located in Granville, and have
IkuI a long and successful career. The latter has a history that ex-
tends through forty-five years — the former not so long.
OUR SOCIAL, INTELLECTUAL, LITERARY AND HEXENOLEXT
ORGANIZATIONS.
We have also not been tardy in establishing organizations other
than Colleges, Seminaries, and Schools, to promote Social, Literaiy
and Benevolent interests. Of this class are the Masonic, and Odd
Fellows Lodges, found in every section of our County, and the
less numerous lodges of Good Templars, Divisions of Sons of Tem-
perance, of lodges of Red Men, of Knights of Pythias, of the Order
of United American Mechanics, of Druids, of Literary Societies, of
Debating and Librar}' Associations, of Reading and Social Clubs, of
Musical Coteries, of Teachers Institutes and of other institutions of
kindred character. Mention may appropriately be made, in this
connection, of the Licking County Pioneer, Historical and Anti-
quarian Society, whose opportunities tend to mental and moral im-
l^rovement. The officers are as follows:
President — Presley N. O'Banon.
Vice Presidents — Thomas J. Anderson, M. M. Munson, and
Daniel Forry.
Recording Secretary — Isaac Smucker.
Corresponding Secretary — C. B. (jiffin,
Treasurer — Enoch Wilson.
Chaplain — Rev. George Sinsabaugh.
It was organized in 1867, and has been eminently successful in
collecting and recording the facts of our early-time history, and pre-
serving them from being utterly lost; and it has been no less success-
ful in its literary achievements and its historical contributions, than
in its devotion to Archicological or Prehistoric interests.
GRANGES — farmer's CLUBS — AGRICULTURAL SOCIETIES.
And then too, wc have organizations whose chief purposes are
the cultivation of the social qualities and the promotion of the material
interests of the peojole. Of this class is that known as the Patrons of
Husbandry, (whose members are designated as Grangers,) which
has its subordinate institutions throughout the County generally.
LICKING COUNTY, OHIO. 39
Farmers' Clubs, local or sectional Agricultural Societies, such as
those of Hartford and Pataskala, and last but not least, the Licking
County Agricultural Society, under whose auspices we are now
holding this Centennial meeting, and which is soon t(i hold its
twenty-ninth Annual Meeting, are preeminently of this class of insti-
tutions. And no less so was the predecessor of the latter, and which
as the Licking County Agricultural Society, held its first Fair or
Annual meeting in 1S33. The writer takes some pride in mention-
ing this, our original Agricultural Society, as he was a member of it
and an cxhibiter also, for many years, perhaps during' the entire
period of its existence. Of- many certificates of good workmanship
received from it, he has one bearing date November first and second,
1838, being its sixth Annual Fair, and signed by Thomas W.Wilson,
President, and Israel Dille, Secretary. This certificate serves as a
relic of the time when all of us that are now old were young, and as
a reminder of the early efi:orts made to promote Manufacturing,
jNIechanical and Agricultural interests in Licking County.
The Licking County Agricultural Society is one of the fixed
institutions of Licking County, having had an existence of a fair
measure of prosperity of fortv-four years, (including an interregnum
of a few years,) and having still the promise of a prosperous Future.
Its officers for the Centennial year are as follows:
President — James Pittsford.
Vice President — James M. Kirkpatrick.
vSecketary — Edward Thomas.
Treasurer — David Smith.
Directors — S. F. Van Vorhis, Francis Burkam, A. T. How-
land, A. Weiant, J. N. Lawyer, S. Hoskinson, John M.Montgomery,
H. L. Reed, M. D. Hartshorn.
review.
I. have thus taken a cursory glance at the evidences of material
prosperity which Licking County presents; also at the Educational
ertbrts made by the people; and no less, at the numerous, and more
or less eificient organizations established all over the County, to pro-
mote the practice of the social and moral virtues. It therefore only
remains, that I present, in this connection to you, a list of the various
church edifices now existing in Licking county, (of which there are
one hundred and thirty-eight,) the Townships in which they are
located, and the \arious reliirious denominations to which thev be-
40
CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF
long, the number of Christian Societies, represented in Licking
County, hy one or more church buildings, being t\vent}-six, eleven
of them having each only one edifice, the others being divided among
the remaining fifteen denominations, forty being the highest number
owned by any one, that being the Episcopal Methodist.
NUMBER, DENOMINATION AND LOCATION OF CHURCH EDIFICES IN
LICKING COUNTY, OHIO.
Rank
5 S.
^. S-
w
tc
n:
r;
O
ri
^
o
r-i
o
C
n
,-
-^
^
f
—
r:;
>
orj
J;.
to,>
i;
5-
c
"1
tr
!•
o
■o
cr
><
a
3
1
1
3
3
3
S'
3
3
3
I?
i
o'
3
3
a'
2
ri
3-
5"
3
o
3
I?
a
3
ft
3
5
3
3
o
3
1
3-
3
?J
3-
9
k
■3
g
3
»
3
3-
O
a
3
D-
O
a.
^
3-
•5
3
o
<<
a
•t
CO
3-
0
3
3
g
p
3
:
a-
V!
o
i
»•
3-
E.
S.
a
3
:
3'
3
TOWNSHIPS.
Vo. 1. Bennington
3
"i
1
r
2
fi
2. Bowling Green
1
1
1
J
rt
H
4. Eden
2
1
"i
]
1
1
1
4
5, Etna
i
1
]
]
2
]
"i
1
1
5
4
1
]
3
2
"i
1
1
1
1
1
1
"i
1
1
]
7
"i
1
...
2
fi
10. Hartford
1
1
h
3
1
1
...
1
1
1
1
K
14, Liberty
1
.5
1
1
1
1
2
"i
5
2
i
1
1
1
7
3
2
2
2
]
2
I
2
]
40
1
2
"i
1
1
2
19
1
"•2
5
(i
20. Madison
1
...
1
1
1
5
"2
2
1
1
]
1
1
1
1
15
23. Perry
...
1
3
24, t^t, Albans
1
1
5
"i
13
10
1
1
9
1
H
20. Washington
I
1
.1
1
1
•s
^1
5
5
4
3
3
—
2
2
2
1
1
1
1
1
]
1
1
CO
Total number of Church edifices in Licking County, Ohio, is
138; their total valuation being $300,000, and supposed to furnish lU
sittings for 20,000 persons. 11^
The Methodists were the first denomination to organize, being
\n 1804; the Congregationalists were the second, being in 1S05; the
Baptists and Presbyterians the next, being in 1808; the Covenanters
organized in 1813: the Lutherans in 1817. The others afterwards.
LICKING COUNTY, OHIO. 41
OUK PIONEERS — TIIER CHARACTERISTICS.
The Pioneer inhabitants of Licking County were not a homo-
•^eneous people, but were composed of a number of (Uftcrent nation-
ahties, and of immigrants from many diHcrent States of the Union,
and from various sections of our country. North and South Caro-
Hna, Maryland and Virginia were the chief Southern States that con-
tributed settlers to our County, the two latter most largely. Pennsyl-
vania certainlv furnished her full quota to our stock of early-time
inhabitants — perhaps more in the aggregate, than any other single
State. Massachusetts and Connecticut did their share, and so did
Wales; and the German speaking countries of Europe, (although
the Teutonics came somewhat later,) furnished us with more than a
tithe of our present population. The proportion of German and
Welsh residents of Licking County may be approximately inferred,
by the number of religious organizations maintained by them,
respectively: the Germans having six, and the Welsh five. The
other one hundred and twenty-seven were established by the English
speaking races. Only three languages, therefore, are employed in
the pulpit ministrations of our County, except what of the Latin
language is used in the Catholic Churches.
Our tirst settlers were, for the most part, a hardv, vigorous race
of men, and eminently adapted to the circumstances which characterize
life on the frontiers. vSome, on emergeucies, made out to live, for a
short time, in hollow sycamores, many domiciled in small huts built
of saplings or poles, whilst most of them lived in log-cabins covered
svith clab-boards. A few were able to secure hewed log-houses with
shingle roofs. Constant labor, unremitting toil, much exposure, and
many privations and perils were their lot; but they endured all cheer-
fully, nobly. They perseveringly felled the forest, they tilled with
persistence and energy, the half cleared fields around their cabins;
they braved with courage and hope, the perils and privations incident
to their condition, and their successors have entered into the enjoy-
ment of those early j-ears' toils, exposures and struggles, luxuriating
in elegant and well-furnished frame houses, or in more substantial
and stately brick or stone edifices.
And what further of the descendants, the posterity of the
Pioneers? Let the annual products of our County, their horses, their
cattle, their sheep and swine, their corn and wheat, their wool and
manufiictures, the payment by them annually, of more than three
hundred thousand dollars of taxes, answer for their industry, their
42 CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF
frugality, their prosperity. Let the forty milhons of the estimated
vahie of their property respond as to their material wealth — their
fiiiancial condition. Let their University, their Seminaries, their half
dozen or more Union Schools, their two hundred and ten School
houses answer as to their estimate of educational interests. Let the
aggregate amount of their associated efforts, looking to the improve-
ment of their material condition, to the cultivation of the social virtues,
to the training of the iniellectual faculties, to the promotion of Benevo-
lence, to the practice of Charity, and all the moral virtues, speak out
their appreciation of those qualities that largely constitute the
elements of genuine manhood. And further in this connection, let
the one hundred and thirty-eight churches they have erected, indicate
to the world the measure of importance they attach to Bible instruc-
tion— the value they place upon the ministrations of the Christian
Pulpit — the importance they attach to the inculcation of the moral
virtues — the obligations they acknowledge thereby, to perpetuate the
Christian Institutions established by their fathers — and their appreci-
ation of the duty to cherish the graces pertaining to the Higher
Life.
incide>xts.
In the further de\clopmcnt of our County's history, I present
very briefly a few prominent incidents, facts, and events that are
part and parcel of the history of our County, followed by very short
personal sketches of those who exerted a potential influence in the
formation of our habits, customs and general line of thought, and
thus intimatclv cimnected themselves, for good or evil with our
County's liistorv.
JUD(;E ELLIOTT AND THE LNDIANS.
Towards the close of the last century, an adventurous young
Pennsylvanian, of more than ordinary enterprise located himself as
an Indian trader, on the point of high land that juts out into the flrst
bottom of the Licking Valley, known as Montour's Point, and upon
which stands the mansion of Charles Montgomery, four miles East of
Newark, near the Bowling Green Run, and also in sight of where after-
wards Hughes and Ratlifl' built their cabins. Montour's Point was
named in honor of the Seneca Indian, Andrew Mont()ur, whose name
will be recalled as that of the companion of Christopher Gist ;n his
Licking couNtv, otiio. 43
Western travels in 1751. Here Elliott, the trader, had temporarily
established himself in a small hut or wigwam, for money-making
purposes, as a dealer in such goods as he might be able to trade to
the Indians of the village adjoining, and to such casual wanderers as
might come along, for their skins and peltry. Elliott prospered for a
time, but one day a friendly squaw notified him of a plot tliat liad been
concocted b}' some indians to take his scalp and appropriate his
effects. He took in the situation at a glance, and with commendable
haste, gathered together his most valuable trmkets and furs, and
secretly mounting his horse, made, with all possible speed, upon the
most direct "trail," for the white settlements on the East. side of the
Ohio river! The savages were in hot pursuit of him, nearly the en-
tire distance, and he barely escaped with his life. The thievish
Indians confiscated his goods which in his haste, he left behind, but
they never secured his scalp. Elliott was probably the first merchant
within the territory now composing Licking County, and Archibald
Wilson, Jr., was the second. Elliott, afterwards known as Judge
Elliott, was the father of the late Benjamin Elliott, of Newton Town-
ship.
ELIAS HUGHES AND THE INDIAN' HORSE THIEVES.
In 1801, several Indians went to the Bowling Green and stole four
horses, owned respectively by Hughes, Ratlift', Bland and Weedman.
Next morning the pursuit of the thieves was commenced by the three
first named with the avowed intention to kill them, if possible, where-
ever found. The result was the Indian thieves were overtaken the
next morning on the banks of the Owl Creek, and killed, the horses
were recovered and a speedy and safe return was effected by the
pursuers. Retaliation was anticipated, and to meet the emergency
the cabin of Hughes was so strengthened as to serve the purpose of
a block-house, but there was no attack. One evening, however,
after the excitement had measurably subsided, two well-armed
Indians entered Hughes' cabin, and in a menacing manner introduced
the matter of killing those horse thieves. Bloody wbrk seemed im-
minent and Ratlifl' was sent for who instantly responded, rifle; in hand.
Hughes always had a butcher-knife in his belt and his trusty rifle
was at hand! An all-night interview between the backwoodsmen
and the infuriated red men, who vscre sometimes engaged in spirited
discussions, was the only result, the latter deeming it expedient to retire
44 CENTENNIAL HISTORY OP
at early dawn, without any hostile act, and never repeated the visit
or sought revenge.
Elias Hughes was a man of marked characteristics. He had
determination, self-will and firmness, even to mulishness, when the
Red Skins were in question. When he said a thing must he done,
and he could do it, or cause it to he done, why then it was done. He
had decided that the horse thief Indians must be killed and they
were. To be overtaken in this case was to be killed!
AN EARLV-TIME SUNDAY IX NEWARK.
In the Summer of 1803, Rev. John Wright a young Presbyterian
Alinister who was in the service of the Western Missionary Society,
visited Newark. He came on Saturday and arranged for preaching
two sermons* the next elay. During the forenoon services, a horse
race was in progress, which attracted much the largest number of
the village and surrounding country people. In the afternoon how-
ever, the horse-racers to a great extent, and others attended, making
a very respectable congregation, for numbers, at least. The Minis-
ter gave them a sharp pointed discourse on the observance of the
Sabbath which elicited commendatory remarks, at its close, from one
of the audience at whose suggestion the hat was passed around which
resulted in a collection of seven dollars.
In 1804 Rev. John Wright located in Fairfiekl County, and
ministered to a few scattered Presbyterians for two years. These he
gathered into the Lancaster and Rush Creek Churches in 1806, and
being not far off, he often visited and preached in Newark. He re-
mained in Lancaster more than thirty years, and died in Delphi,
Indiana, August 31, 1854, aged 77 years.
ENEMIES OF THE EARLY SETTLERS.
Our early settlers found formidable enemies in the venomous
serpents as well as the wild animals and ferocious beasts of the forest,
and in the birds of prey that abounded while yet this country was a
wilderness. Serpents were most to be feared b.y man, but wild
beasts were the natural enemies of young domestic animals, and birds
of prey of the poultry of the pioneers. The rattle-snake, the copper-
head, the viper were most dangerous, but the black-snake, the garter-
snake and the water-snake were probably the most numerous. They
often entered the cabins and beds of the settlers, and were a serious
LICKING COUNTY, OHIO. 45
aniiovancc, man\- persons and domestic animals being bitten by them.
They were of large size, one rattle-snake having been killed, down
the Licking, which was five feet in length, three inches thick and
had ihirty-one rattles. A den of snakQS on the south side of the
Licking became so annoving in 1803 that the settlers resorted to gun-
powder to destroy them.
So numerous were snakes about Granville, when first settled,
and so formidable an enemy to man were they, that the settlers fre-
quently turned out in force to kill them. On one Occasion the people
there organized a general Snake hunt by appointing Elias Oilman
and Justin Hillyer Captains, and it is said that the result of the days'
hunt was the destruction of about three hundred rattle-snakes and
copperheads.
In the Autumn of 1S05, Jacob Wilson, living witliin a mile of
Newark, was suddenly called to the door of his cabin, by the com-
motion among his swine and pigs. A huge panther had just seized
a pig, and when in the act of making oft' with it, was pursued and
treed by the dogs, not far from the cabin. The Pioneer at once
seized his trusty rifle and brought it to bear upon the ferocious beast,
which, at the first fire fell at the roots of the tree among the dogs.
One day during the same year, two of the children of General
John Spencer, were playing in the yard of the cabin at the " Big
Spring," when a huge bear came along and seized a pig near them
and made oft' with it. Had Bruin selected the youngest of those
children instead of the pig, the career of the late Colonel William
Spencer would have been cut short.
Wolves too, were sometimes a troublesome enemy, and one to be
dreaded by man. I give the following incident in illustration of this
fact. It is related of a son of Theophilus Rees, that on one occasion
when some ways from the house, in the night-time, a pack of wolves
followed, surrounded and treed him, and then deliberately proceeded
to gnaw at the tree which was onlv a small one, while he was perched
upon one of its lower limbs. The unusually fierce bowlings of the
hungrv and ravenous blasts attracted the attention of some persons
in a cabin within hearing distance, who opportunely went to the re-
lief of the young man. On frequent occasions, in the night season,
hungry wolves would encounter persons passing from one cabin to
another, whose only relief depended upon making themselves heard
so as to be rescued by friends armed with torches or guns.
These and similar incidents, tend to show the condition of things
46 CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF
during the fii'st half of the Centennial period we are now closing.
Now man finds no eneni}* in either serpents, beasts or birds.
THE GRANVILLE COLONY's FIRST SABBATH IN TllK WILDERNESS.
The (jranville Colony held public religious services on tlic first
Sabbath after their arrival, namely, on the i6th of November, 1S05.
Theophilus Rees, a first-class Welsh settler of 1S03, lived a mile or more
North of the point selected for their village by the New England
immigrants, and of whose arrival he had not heard. On this Sabbath
he sallied forth to look after his cows that had strayed away. On
nearing the top of a hill, he heard the singing of the people, at this
their first public worship in the wilderness. Judge of his astonish-
ment when the reverbei'ations of that unexpected music reached his
ears through the tree-tops in the valleys and on the hills that surround-
ed him. The impression produced by the melodious but unheralded
strains of those grateful worshipers in Nature's Temple, was as
favorable upon the mind of the devout Pioneer of the Hills, as the
surprise was sudden and profound, and served as a topic of frequent
remark, in after years, with the Patriarch of the Welsh people in
Licking Countv, even to the close of the honored veteran's useful and
valuable life. And it is no marvel that he who so unexpectedlv and
suddenly came within hearing of the sweet sounds of that sacred
music coming from human voices, should promptly decide that those
worshipers in the wilderness " must be good people." Certainly it
was quite natural that those charming strains, so plaintively, it maybe
so spiritedly, echoed and re-echoed through those " grand old woods"
should impress him so favorably as that the relation of the incident
would, thereafter, be enjoyed as a luxury.
THE FOURTH OF JULY CELEBRATION IN NEWARK, IN 1S07.
One of the first celebrations of American Independence, perhaps
the very first that took place in Licking County was that of 1807. ^^
was held on the North side of the Public Square, the dinner being
the joint production of Maurice Newmati and Abraham Johnson, the
two tavern-keepers of Newark. A hog, sheep and deer, well roast-
ed, graced the table. The hog had an ear of corn in its mouth and
was trimmed with lettuce; the sheep had a bunch of fennel in its
mouth and was trimmed with parsley; and the d^-er which was killed
for the occasion bv Hananiah Pugh, was decorated with leaves, vines
LICKING COUNTY, OHIO. 47
and flowers from the forest. Captain Archil)alcl Wilson, Sr., was
Presitlent of the chiy; Rev. John E'li'^ictt, a Methodist preacher was
Chaphun on the occasion, and Dr. John J. Brice read the Dechiration
of. Independence. The oration was prepared by Archibald Wilson,
Jr., but was read by Dr. John J. Brice, owing to the sickness of the
author. The military, under the command of Captain John Spencer,
were present in force, and fired vollies in response to the toasts. The
best of feeling characterized the occasion, which was finally brought
to a close with a ball at night.
Archibald Wilson, Jr., b}'^ reason of a fall from his horse a
few days before, could not be present to deliver the oration in person.
He was the first merchant that established himself in Newark, which
was in 1S04 or 1805. Mr. Wilson's manuscripts were almost as neat
as copper-plate engraving, and the aforesajd oration would be a relic
of rare value. He had a collegiate education and possessed consider-
able ability. Mr. Wilson served during the war of 1813 on the staft'
of General Gaines on our Northern frontiers, in which service his
health was greatly impaired. He afterwards devoted himself to
school teaching. He was a brother of Enoch Wilson and of the late
Dr. J. N. Wilson, Archibald Wilson, Sr., being their father.
AN INCIDENT OF iSlO.
William Kinning, a vScotch batchelor, reputed to have some
means, boarded with a family that lived in the North Fork Valley in
1810, eight miles above Newark. While in the act of crossing the
North Fork on a log, near the present village of St. Louisville, he re-
ceived a rifle ball in his bod}', which it was long supposed would
prove fatal, but he ultimately recovered. Tracks on the snow and
other circumstances pointed to a man living in that vicinity by the
name of Hoyt, as the would-be assassin. The suspected culprit fled
but was pursue.d, captured and imprisoned in the Newark jail.
William Stanbery, then a rising young lawyer, of Newark in the
second year of his practice in Licking County, was engaged to
defend Hoyt, but before the day set for his trial arrived, he broke
jail and fled to parts unknown, and so far as is known, never return-
ed to our County; indeed he was never heard from afterwards! This
incident brings upon the surface three young men each of whom had
then just fairly entered upon his public career, and all of whom sub-
sequently attained to a good degree of professional distinction. Those
were Rev. James B. Finlev. Dr. John J. Brice anil Hon. Willia
m
48 CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF
Stanbery; the first named being then an itinerant Methodist minister
in our County, it being the second year of his itinerancy: the second
named gentleman being the physician who applied the skill of the
healing art upon Kinning to his recovery and final restoration to
health, and the last named as already stated, who recently deceased
at the ripe age of 85 years. Rev. J. B. Finley heard the report of
Hoyt's gun, and the screams of his poor victim — he was also witness
to the agony of the supposed dying man and ministered to his
spiritual comfort in his extremity!
JOHNNY APPJ.ESEED AND CHAPLAIN JONES.
Our early settlers were frequently honored with the visits of an
eccentric visionary who was generally called "Johnny Appleseed."
He acquired this nick-name from the singular habit he had of going
to a point East of the Ohio river and collecting quantities of apple-
seeds and then planting them in or a little in advance of the border
settlements. He w^ould clear away the rubbish and imdergrowth of
a small plat of ground, perhaps enclose it with a brush fence, then
plant the seeds and leave his embryo nurseries to their fate. The
result was that Johnny's well-meant labors seldom came to be of
much jDractical utilit3^ Only one nursery was started by him with-
in the present limits of Licking County, and that was on what is
known as the " Scotland farm," about three miles in a Northeasterly
direction from Newark. It was neglected, the enclosure was broken
down and the young ai^ple-trees were browsed upon by animals, so
that few of them were ever transplanted. Johnny's true name was
Jonathan Chapman, and he was a nali\e of New England — a stray
Yankee — whose clothing was made of skins, who generally traveled
barefooted, slept out of doors when the weather permitted, had strong
faith in Emanuel Swedenborg, and who died in Allen County, Indi-
ana, in 1843. His line of nurseries extended from W^estcrn Pennsyl-
vania, through Ohio and Indiana into Illinois.
Chaplain Jones was also an eccentric character who was
familiar with the earlv settlers of Licking County. I ha\e already
named him as a sojourner or lodger in the Indian village on the
liowling Green in 1773. He was of Welsh descent, born in Pennsyl-
^•ania in 1736. He became a Baptist preacher in 1761, missionated
as such among the Indians of the Northwest in 1772-73, and served
as Chaplain in the commands of St. Clair, Gates, and Wayne during
the Revolutionary war. He preached the first sermon delivered in
the Miami valley, at Columbia, in January 1790? '^^i*-! ''^^"-' the first
LICKING COUNTY, OHIO. 49
Baptist sermon in Granville, which was in 1806. When General
Anthony Wayne took command of the Northwestern army in 1792,
he appointed his old friend to a chaplaincy, and he served in that
capacity to the close of the war. Early in the war of 1812, he, al-
though seventy-six years of age, entered the army as a Chaplain, and
served under Generals Wilkinson and Brown imtil the close of the
war. His death took place in his native State, February 5, 1820, in
his eight3'-fourth year.
Rev. David Jones, (for that was his name,) was a man of talents
and of many singularities. He was a gentleman of the" Old School'
in bearing and dress, wearing the buckles on shoes and breeches, the
short clothes, the cocked hat, the queue, and it is said, the small
cockade, until his death or near it. Chaplain Jones was fond of the
"pomp and circumstance of war," and was a true patriot.
AN EARLY TIME INCIDENT.
Andrew Baird served as Sheriff' of Licking County from 1810 to
1S14. During his term an event transpired which shows that a ruder,
a more sanguinary feature, marked the civilization of the first than
the last half of this Centennial period.
A theft of no gi'eat extent had been committed by a man named
Courson. He was found guilty, after having had a fair trial, and
sentenced to be whipped on his bare back with a cow-hide, and the
sentence was carried into effect on the Public Square in the presence
of many spectators, by Sheriff Baird. The culprit prepared himself
for his punishment by drinking half a pint of whisky.
In few, if any States of our Union except Delaware, is such
barbarous mode of punishment practiced at the close of the first
Centennial of American Independence.
THE FAMOUS CIRCULAR HUNT OF 1823.
In the early settlement of this County, the people were often
very much annoyed by depredations made on their sheepfolds, by
the wild beasts of the forest. Among these, wolves were the most
destructive, but, writes Rev. Timothy W. Howe, "up to 1823, no
general and combined eftort had been made to destroy them. Who
was the originator of the scheme we are not informed, but in the fall
of 1823 the people of the County determined to make an effort to rid
the country of this troublesome animal. To make the experiment as
50 CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF
effectual as possible, they determined to surround a specified territory
in a methodical and thorough manner, and by marching and driving
them to the center, bring them at last, if not sooner, within the reach
of the rifle bullet.
" For this purpose, James Holmes, Esq., surveyor of Licking
County, was employed to survey, in the Western part of our County
a tract of land four miles square. The most of this, if not the whole,
was in Harrison Township. The East line was where the road is,
running North from Kirkersville, and the South line running West
a little North of Mr. Isaac White's dwelling house. This territory
was selected on account of its embracing the most of ' Gibbon's
Deadening,' as it was familiarly called. There were some fifteen
hundred acres in this ' Deadening,' and none of it yet cleared for
cultivation. It had been deadened some fifteen or sixteen years, and
the second growth of timber was in the very best of condition to be
a complete harbor for all kinds of wild animah. So dense was the
undergrowth, that it was with difficulty men could pass through it
on foot.
"A day was appointed, and notice given in all jDarts of the
County for the men to meet at sunrise on that day ready to take their
place on the line. Mr. Holmes had run the lines and caused the
trees to be blazed, so that the lines were seen. He run lines also
diagonally through from corner to corner, so that we should have no
confusion or blunder, in gaining the center. He gave notice also
more than any other man in the different sections of the County, to
turn out and assist in destroying these pests of civilization. I well
remember his pleasant, loud and cheerful voice, as he called to us to
be on the ground with promptness — bringing our own dinners, but
no whisky. 'No whisky,' said he, 'is to be allowed on the ground.'
" By sunrising, on the day appointed, a vast crowd was gathered
at the 'old Ward place,' as it was then called, but more recently it
has the name of ' the Cheese Farm,' four miles west of Granville, on
the Columbus road. This company was to form the East line.
" Before separating and being placed on the line, hornsmen
were appointed who were to be stationed at equal distances around
the square, and when the lines were filled on every side, the horns-
men were to sound their trumpets, commencing at a given point, and
sound around the square to let all know that the lines were filled. A
second sounding of trumpets around was the signal for all to march.
Then the excitement c(jmmenced. The lines had advanced but a short
distance before we began to see the frightened deer running parallel
LICKING COUNTY, OHIO. 51
with the Hne, seeking a place to escape from the terrible enemy, by
which they were surrounded. As soon as the deer were seen the
guns commenced to crack along the line. Those of us passing
through the ' Deadening,' could do little more than prevent the game
trom passing the lines. The bushes and trees were so thick that it
was impossible to see the game so as to shoot twenty yards. The
deer before discovering the men on the line would come within
thirty or forty feet, and wheel and fly from us. The wolves kept at
a greater distance from the lines; they were not seen on the East line
until we were out of the 'Deadening,' and in more open woods.
Then three were seen about so often, running parallel with the lines,
but so far from them that our best shot did not bring them down.
When we had gained the open woods and the deer had formed
larger flocks, the volleys fired at them sounded as they do when
armies are in battle. As the deer passed along the line, the firing
would be continuous, sometimes for minutes in succession. It would
be one continued roar of musketry. Thus the day passed and few
indeed were the intervals when guns could not be heard in one direc-
tion or another. We were just emerging from the thick undergrowth
of the ' Deadening,' when a huge black bear was discovered, making
his way in a lazy gallop towards the Southeast corner of the enclosure.
No gun was fired at him until he was within twenty or thirty yards
of the line. Then simultaneously fifteen or twenty guns were fired
and Bruin fell to rise no more.
"From early in the march turkeys were seen flying over the lines
like flocks of pigeons. We continued our steady march imtil we ar-
rived at the lines indicating a fourth of a mile square. It had been
anticipated that it might become necessary to halt before we should
reach the center. And so it was. This one-fourth of a mile had
been surveyed and the trees blazed with an axe. We halted here,
for with all the shooting that had been done, not a single wolf had
been killed, and we knew three at least were in the lines; they had
become perfectly cowed and now were skulking behind logs and
under the bank of the stream that run through the center square. Our
center was on ' Grass Lick run ' or one of its branches. To kill
wolves was now the grand object. The best marksmen were select-
ed and sent in to do that work. No one on the lines was allowed to
shoot. We stood almost shoulder to shoulder. I know none who
went in excejDt Mr. Levcrett Butler and Captain Timothy Spellman.
But there were three or four oth^'s. An incident occurred while
despatching the wolves. Mr. Butler took his brother Henry with
52 CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF
him to cany the hatchet. Mr. Butler shot one and he fell; his
brother sprang to the wolf, straddled him and struck him between
the ears three blows, but in the excitement, with the edge, instead of
the head of the hatchet. The vrolf escaped from him until Leverett
could shoot him again. Three marks of the edge of the hatchet were
seen between the ears of the wolf when brought to the center, and
soon after the skin was dressed with the hair on, and used as
a saddle cloth by General Augustine Munson. After it was an-
nounced that there was no more game to be killed, wc marched to
the center. Perfect order was observed, not a single person appear-
ed to be disguised by intoxicating liquor, thus evincing that the order
to take no ardent spirits to the hunt had been obeyed. No serious
casualty occurred during the day, and the highest cheerful glee pre-
vailed. The game had been brought along as it was killed, and such
a sight had never been seen in Licking County, and never will be
again as was presented to our view. There was the large black bear,
three wolves, forty-nine deer, sixty or seventy turkeys, and one owl
spread on the ground. The next thing was to prepare the spoils for
distribution. The bear and deer were skinned and cut up into pieces
weighing about four pounds each. The number of pieces was ascer-
tained, and it was found there were only one-third enough to give
each man a piece. The men were formed into three companies, and
they cast lots which company should have the spoils. All appeared
satisfied with this arrangement, and at sunset the company dispersed.
It was the good luck of General Augustine Munson to draw the bear
skin, and he displayed it proudly as the greatest trophy of the day's
hunt. The General was one of Licking County's early, energetic,
ambitious, enterprising, patriotic Pioneers, and useful citizens, and
lived to the age of nearly eighty-five years, dying at his residence in
Granville Township, in iS6S.
SQJJIRREL HUNTS.
Squirrel hunts were also indulged in to a large extent in
early times, both as an amusement and as the only means of protect-
ing the corn crops. The little destructive creatures sometimes be-
came very numerous, and in some years were really one of man's
most formidable enemies, so that it was indispensable that they
should be checked in their depredations; and this could be most
eflectually done by the combined eftbrts of the people. The time
and place of meeting having been agreed upon beforehand, the
LICKING COUNTY, OHIO. 53
squirrel-hunters met, divided themselves into two companies, elected
a captain for each company and then proceeded to their day's work.
On coming together in the evening and reporting the results of their
hunt, it was no unusual thing to find the number of squirrels killed
that day by the two companies to number many hundreds, and not
unfrcquently, running even into the thousands.
A MEMORABLE YEAR.
The year 1S25 was exceptionally prolific of events of special and
general interest in Licking County. Some of these are here describ-
ed in the order of their occurrence-*— they Avere, first, the celebrated
Burlington storm which took place on the iSth of May — second, the
famous celebration of the 4th of July, at the "Licking Summit,"
when and where the first shovel-full of earth was thrown out, by
Governor De Witt Clinton, of New York, in the construction of the
Lake Erie and Ohio Canal— third, the great Camp Meeting held
late in September on the borders of the Flint Ridge in Franklin
Township — fourth, the rather farcical performance and abortive at-
tempt to hang Peter Diamond sometime in October — and lastly, the
great horse-racing carnival at Newark, early in November or late in
the preceding month.
THE GREAT STORM.
"The Burlington Storm commenced," says Howe's history
of Ohio, "in the .Southeast part of Delaware County, between one
and two o'clock in the afternoon of May iSth. After passing for a
few miles upon the surface of the ground, in an Easterly direction, it
appeared to rise so high from the earth that the tallest trees were not
affected by it, and then again to descend to the earth, and with great-
ly increased violence and force pi^oceeded through the Townships ot
Bennington and Burlington, in Licking County, and then passed in-
to Knox, and thence to Coshocton County. It crossed the road from
Newark to Mount Vernon, a short distance above Utica, where its
violence was such as to j^rostrate nearl}^ all the trees, large and small,
that stood in its track, which was several hundred yards wide. Its
general course was a little North of East. For force and violence of
wind, this storm has rarely been surpassed in any country in the
same latitude. Forests and orchards were completely uprooted and
leveled, buildings blown down and scattered in every direction, por-
54 CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF
tions of which heing carried by the force of the wind many miles
distant. Cattle were hfted from the ground and carried one hundred
rods or more. The creek, which had been swollen by recent rains,
had but little water in its bed after the storm had passed. The roads
and fields recently plowed were quite muddy from previous rains,
but after the storm had passed by, both roads and fields were clean
and dry. Its track through Licking County was from one-third to
three-fifths of a mile wide, but increased in width as it advanced to
the Eastward. Those who were so fortunate as to be witness of its
progress, without being victims of its prey, represent the appearance
of the fragments of trees, buildings and limbs high in the air, to re-
semble large numbers of birds, such as buzzards or ravens. The
ground also seemed to tremble, as is asserted by many credible per-
sons who were at the time, a mile from the tornado itself. The roar
of the wind, the trembling of the ground and the crash of the falling
timber and buildings, are represented by all who were witnesses as be-
ing peculiarly dreadful.
'' Colonel Wright and others, who witnessed its progress think
it advanced at the rate of a mile per minute, and did not last more
than a minute and a half or two minutes. The cloud was exceeding-
ly black, and some times bore hard upon the ground, and at others
seemed to rise above the surface. One peculiarity was, that the
fallen timbers lay in such confusion, that the course of the storm
could not be determined from the position of the fallen trees.
"Many incidents are related by the inhabitants calculated to
illustrate the power as well as the terror of the storm, among which
I select the following: A chain from three to four feet long, and of the
size of a common plough-chain, was taken from the ground near the
house of John McClintock, and carried about half a mile and lodged
in the top of a sugar tree stub, about twenty-five feet above the
ground. An ox belonging to Colonel Wait Wright was carried
about eighty rods and left unhurt, although surrounded by the fallen
timber, so that it required several hours chopping to release him. A
cow was also taken from the same field and carried about forty rods
and lodged in the top of a tree, which was blown down, and when
found was dead, and about eight feet from the ground. Whether
the cow was blown against the tree-top before it was blown down
or was lodged in it after it fell, can not be determined. A heavy ox
cart was taken from the yard of Colonel Wright and carried about
forty rods and struck the ground with such force as to break the
axle and entirely to demolish one wheel. A son of Colonel Wright
LICKING COUNTY, OHIO. 55
upwards of fourteen years of age, was standing in the house holding
the door. The house, which was built of logs, was torn in pieces,
and the lad was thrown with such violence across the room as to kill
him instantly. A coat which was hanging in the same room was
found in Coshocton County, more than forty miles distant, and was
afterwards brought to Burlington, and identified by Colonel Wright's
family. Other articles, such as shingles, pieces of timber, and furni-
ture, were carried twenty and thirty miles. Miss Sarah Robb, about
twelve years of age, was taken from her father's house and carried
some distance, she could not tell how far; but when consciousness
returned, found herself about forty rods from the house and walking
towards it. She was much bruised, but not essentially injured. The
family of a Mr. Vance, on seeing the storm approaching, fled from
the house to the orchard adjoining. The upper part of the house
was blown ofl:' and through the orchard; the lower part of the house
remained. Two sons of Mr. Vance were killed, one immediately
and the other died in a day or two from his wounds. These and the
son of Colonel Wright above mentioned, were all the lives known to
be lost by the storm. A house built of large logs in which was a
family and which a number of workmen had entered for shelter
from the storm, raised up on one side and rolled oft' the place on
w^hich it stood, without injuring any one. A yoke of oxen belonging
to William H. Cooley, were standing in the field, and after the storm
w^ere found completely enclosed and covered with fallen timber, so
that they were not released until the next day, but Avere not essentially
injured. A black walnut tree, two and a half feet in diameter,which
had lain on the ground many years, and had become imbedded in the
earth to nearly one-half its size, was taken from its bed and carried
across the creek, and left about thirty rods from its former location.
A crockery crate, in which several fowls were confined, was carried
by the wind several miles, and, with its contents, set down without
injury."
THE LICKING SUMMIT CELEBRATION.
The most important event to Newark and to Licking County,
that transpired in the year 1825, was the celebration of the 4th of
July, at the '• Licking Summit," four miles South of Newark, on the
Ohio Canal. An immense throng attended to see De Witt Clinton,
of New York, throw out the first shovel-full of earth, in the con-
struction of the Ohio Canal. Governor Worthington and numerous
56 CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF
celebrities of tliis and other States were present. The occasion was
characterized by an immense display of Military togger}^, such as
brass buttons, cockades, plumes, sashes, epaulets, and many other
fancy trappings that profusely ornamented the outer garments of the
military chieftains present. These highly embellished and conspicu-
ously present gentlemen of the "sword and pistols," were one of the
features of this notable day. There was also a great array of inde-
pendent military companies, called volunteers, who also appeared in
their best uniforms. General Edward King, of Chillicothe, and
General Sanderson, our very highly esteemed Pioneer friend of Lan-
caster, who attained to more than four-score years of age, and whose
interesting letter was read at a late meeting of the Licking County
Pioneers, were among the most conspicuous military commanders on
that celebrated occasion. Our late friends and fellow citizens Cap-
tains Merideth Darlington and Willard Warner, the former of New-
ark, the latter of Granville, commanded the local or home troops on
the occasion. This was the heroic age of Ohio — the age of military
glory.
Hon. Thomas Ewing, then in the full enjoyment of his great
intellectual powers, was the Orator of the day, and, in the judgment
of the great crowd who heard him, he acquitted himself splendidly.
Governor Clinton threw out the first shovel-full of earth, in the
construction of the Ohio Canal, on that interesting occasion. He
had been the projector of the Erie Canal, and had employed his great
talents and influence to put the Empire State in the highway to pros-
perity and wealth, by procuring the adoption of a liberal " Internal
Improvement Policy." This same policy, sensible and Statesman-
like he urged upon Ohio, and in consequence thereof, he became
ver}' popular among its fiuends here; hence the position of honor
assigned to him. The late veteran Pioneer of Licking, Honorable
William Stanbery, was elected to the Senate of Ohio, expressly to
advocate our Canal policy. Governor Worthington and most of the
Statesmen of Ohio, held the same views.
CAMP MEETING OF 1S25.
The celebrated Camp Meeting of 1825 was held in Franklin
TownshijD, not far from the large stone mound, some eight miles
from Newark. The meeting was held in a pleasant and somewhat
romantic locality, near the western termination of the Flint Ridge.
The weather was delightful — the preaching was good, and the sur-
LICKING COUNTY, OHIO. 57
roundings and incidents of the meeting had a flavor of freshness and
novelty about them that rendered the occasion one decidedly enjoy-
able. A slender, tall, erect, long-visaged grave old man, with elon-
gated hair that had passed into the last stages of the silver-gray hue,
occupied himself conspicuously as the chief singer of the occasion —
the venerable leader in the musical department of the devotional
exercises. His name was Sigler, I understood, and he sung with
spirit, energy and much power of voice. The great congregation
joined him, and they made the welkin ring sonorously, while singing
those fine old Methodist Camp Meeting Hymns. The multitudes
gathered for worship from " all the regions round about " in these
ancient groves, were greatly moved, yea! thrilled by the inspiring
notes of the melodious minstrelsy. The reverberations of those sacred
songs, as sung by a thousand voices, in the spirited, natural, simple
style of our primitive settlers, in those " grand old woods," gave
zest to the enjoyment of the interesting occasion, and the scenes and
incidents thereof are doubtless numbered among the pleasanter
memories that have been cherished by many, during the passing
years of the latter half of our Centennial period.
THE HAXGIXG AND YET NOT HANGING — OF PETER DIAMOND.
In 1825, Peter Diamond, a miner at Mary Ann Furnace, was
convicted of the murder of one Mitchell, a fellow ore-digger. This
man while intoxicated and in a fit of passion struck Mitchell, (with
whom he was quarreling,) a blow with a gun-barrel across the head,
from the effects of which he died. The absence of deliberation made
it a crime of a lower grade than murder in the first degree, and
he should have been convicted of the second grade of homicide.
Hons. Thomas Ewing and William Stanbery defended him with
great zeal and ability, but he was nevertheless found guilty and
sentenced to be hung. The gallows was erected — the grave dug —
the coffin made — so was the shroud, and the culprit put inside of it —
the crowd collected from far and near — the military were marshaled
in large numbers to prevent the escape or rescue of Peter, and to
give ECLAT to the interesting occasion, the sermon wa.sjpreached
— the doctors were on hand to determine when Diamond's pulse
ceased its beatings, by reason of the strangling process — and, in short
all things were ready to swing the culprit into eternity, when lo! and
behold a dashing horseman came rushing along, crying out at the
top of his voice that he had a message from the Governor of the
58 CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF
State of Ohiol This proved to be Isaac Cool, who knew well how
to act such a jDart with a flourish. The commander of the troops
cleared the track for him, when he, with due regard to style, passed
the document with the great seal of the State of Ohio attached, to
the Sheriff', which proved to be a respite or suspension of the sentence.
This respite resulted at last in a commutation of it to ten 3'ears ser-
vice, for the hero of the day, in the Penitentiary. This respite
arrangement of our good old Governor was one that Peter promptly
acceded to, much to the disgust of a well-sold and greatly- be-fooled
crowd, who had, at some expense, and to the neglect of their business
and crops, at a very busy season of the year, gathered here in great
force, from this and all the adjoining Counties, to witness the death-
agonies of a fellow-being on the gallows, and they could not brook
the idea of a disappointment! This is true only of the more brutal,
or rabble class of the spectators — the better portion were thrilled
with jo}" at the manner of its termination. Farce, just then, was
more to their taste than tragedy. The performance came oft' between
Locust and Church streets, and between Third and Fifth streets.
The gallows stood about mid-way between Church and Locust
streets, on Fourth street, or a little East of it. This was the nearest
the w^-iter ever came to seeing a man " done for," finally, on the
scaft'old. He offers in mitigation for yielding to the force of tempta-
tion, the fact that the gallows was erected within a few rods of his
residence; and he may also be permitted to plead his vouth, in exten-
uation of the indiscretion, he being still " in his teens.''
Diamond's counsel, after the death penalty had been pronounced,
prepared and laid before Governor Morrow, the facts in the case,
who saw at once that he had been illegallv and unjustly convicted
and sentenced; he therefore decided to give him the proper punish-
ment for his offense, which was one of great enormity, though not
the highest crime, nor the crime of which he was found guilt}-. As
lie had committed a great crime, the good Cjovcrnor thought it best
lo give him ten years in the State's prison, and in additi(m to put him
through the pangs of anticipated throttling, and to keep the terrors
of an ignominious death hanging over him to the last monient; but
to stop short of the reality of a death strangle!
HORSE-RACIN(; OF 1S25.
The horse-racing of 1825 was also an event of no small magni-
tude, in the estimation of man\-. The race-course was bounded on
LICKING COUNTY, OHIO. 59
the North by the Southern portion of the town; on the Soutli by
the South Fork; on the East b\' Fourth street; and on the West by
the Raccoon. An hnmensc crowd of j^cople of all colors, sexes, and
conditions had collected. They came from the adjacent Counties,
and also from remote parts of the State, as well as from our County.
One main race for sweepstakes, was run by three horses named
"Ground Hog," " Red Fox," and ''Prairie Mule." The first named
was a large gray horse, owned in Muskingum, I believe, and was the
winner. The '"Red Fox" was a small sorrel horse and came in
second best; and the '"Prairie Mule," owned, I think, in Lancaster,
was a small brown animal of nearly the same speed of the " Red
Fox." The race was a mile, or perhaps more, to be repeated. ZSlany
other races were run, generally for a short distance only, and for
small stakes. The accompaniments were a large consumption of
whisky and similar fluids — an overloading of many stomachs with
"•insfcr-cakes — a considerable number of fisticuft's — much excitement,
quarreling and profanity — extensive thimble-rigging and sweat-cloth
gambling — pocket-picking and stealing — playing oft' the grand-
mother's trick, and other sharp frauds upon the very green ones;
and various other grovelling and villainous practices that were in-
tenselv disgusting.
THE PATRIOTISM OK LICKING COUNTY.
The people of Licking County manifested a commendable
degree of patriotism during each of the three wars that our National
Government has been engaged in, since the organization of the
County. During the war of 181 2, four companies at least, were
raised for service, although the population did not exceed five thous-
and. Captain Spencer early entered the service with a company,
followed by Captains Rose and Sutton, and afterwards Captain
Spencer was placed in command of a company organized to march
to the defence of Fort Meigs, Elias Hughes being the First Lieuten-
ant. A companv of mounted men was also raised for some tempo-
rary purpose, which I believe was commanded by Captain Robert
Davidson.
Three companies were raised in Licking County during the
Mexican war, one of them being mounted men under the command
of Captain John R. Duncan. The two infantry companies were
commanded by Captain Richard Stadden.
6o CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF
The number of men who entered the mihtary service of the
country during the late war for the Union, was probably not much
less than three thousand, four hundred and sixty-six of whom are
known to have lost their valuable, noble lives in said service.
Their names, with the time and place of enlistment and death
of each one, the commands to which they were attached and
other facts of interest pertaining to them, have all been published in a
neat pamphlet.
In the earlier history of our County, every able-bodied man be-
tween the ages of eighteen and forty-five years, was, by law, enrolled
for military duty, and he was expected to perform several days of
that kind of duty in each year. Then " military trainings," " company
musters," " general musters," "officers musters," "regimental train-
ings," "brigade trainings," and such like military performances were
popular; and very numerous were volunteer, rifle, and infantry com-
panies, well uniformed and under good dicipline, as well as militia
companies of less pretensions. Although there is now less pomp
and parade, less display of military toggery, of brassy ornaments, of
gilt buttons and silver lace, of sword and sash, of bespangled regi-
mentals and gay cockades, yet there is not less patriotism among
the people as was clearl}- established during the terrible years of the
late rebellion. The demands upon the patriotism of the people of
Licking County have been promptly and fully met.
It is a noteworthy fact, as indicating the great vitality and vigor
of the military as a controlling power in this County, in early as well
as in later times, that our " military chieftains," pretty uniformly at-
tained to positions of honor and profit in civil life. This was exemp-
lified in the election to high civil offices of Generals Philemon Beech-
er, Joseph Vance, Duncan Mc Arthur, Robert Lucas, Return Jonathan
Meigs, and many others, who, though not residents of our County,
nevertheless received the sufi'rages of our citizens. Of those who
were citizens of this County I name Generals John Spencer, Augus-
tine Munson, and Jonathan Taylor; also Colonels John Stadden,
William W. Gault, Joshua Mathiot, William Spencer, John Stewart,
J. B. W. Haynes, James Parker, James Kilbourn, William Gass; also
Majors Jeremiah R. Munson, Anthony Pitzer, Stephen C. Smith,
Elisha W^arren, and others that might be named. It is an indication
of jDatriotism to honor those who have rendered valuable military
services, and if so. Patriotism was a distinguishing characteristic of
our earlier settlers, and Licking County should not be less redolent
now than then of patriotic heroism.
LICKING COUNTY, OHIO. 6i
MAJOR JEREMIAH R. MUNSON AND GENEKAI. JOHN SPENCER.
In the year 1805, two men settled within the hmits of this Coun-
ty, who subsequently attracted to themselves a large share of public
attention, figured extensively in high military and civil positions, and
who enjoyed to an unusual extent, the public confidence and regard.
These men were Major Jeremiah R. Munson and General John
Spencer. They were both undoubted patriots — both, early in the
war of iSi3, entered the military service of their country — both were
included in General Hull's capitulation at Detroit — both subsequent-
ly re-entered the army — both were shot and narrowly escaped death
— both made good military or war records — both were summoned, I
believe, as witnesses at the Court Martial of Hull — both w^ere
honorably discharged from the army — both served creditably as
Representatives of Licking County in the State Legislature — both
were men of energy, enterprise, and great jDopularity — both possess-
ed fine social qualities and commanding influence — both were men
of ambition and of honor — both had strong convivial proclivities —
both merited and enjoyed high consideration — the floods engulfed
them both, one a little more, the other a year less than half a
century ago — both reached the end, when they had passed but little
beyond "the noon of life;" and when the limpid waters of the Rac-
coon closed over the despondent, despairing Munson, a gallant, patri-
otic, generous life went out; and when the heroic Spencer passed out
of sight, in the midst of the swollen, turbid, fast-flowing waters of
the North Fork, a brave heart ceased to beat, a patriotic life came to
an end, a gallant soldier died, an upright Magistrate ceased to be, an
incorruptible Legislator was no more, an honest man passed on to
his final reckoning! Both shared largely in the commiserations of
" troops of friends," sincere, devoted.
A POLITICAE WHIRLWIND.
A most extraordinary political excitement pervaded Licking
County, as well as the country at large, during the year 1S40 — the
year of "the log-cabin-hard-cider-and-coon-skin campaign." As in-
dicated, it was not a local but a general tornado raging with more or
less fury, in all the States of the American Union, but in none of
them was the hurricane wilder than in Ohio, and in no locality did it
rage more furiously than in " Old Licking." The people were wont
to meet in immense crowds, and became intensely excited under the
62 CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF
declamatory harangues of wranglers, demagogues and stump orators.
The inflammatory appeals of the party pi'ess of the country, address-
ed to the passions, super-added to the fanatical and exciting speeches
of the heated partisans, and candidates for public offices, roused the
people as they had never been roused before, and worked them up
to fever heat, producing a state of wild delirium among them,
hitherto unparallelled in the history of the country and never after-
wards approached in infuriated fanaticism. The stormy passions of
the masses were lashed into uncontrolable fury, who often displayed'
an intensity of feeling wholly unknown before, and manifested a
degree of extravagance and wildness in the discussion of political
questions that was a marvel to the few sober-minded men of both
parties, that remained in a measure unaflectcd in the midst of the
frenzy that had siezed upon the multitudes. These abnormal mani-
festations characterized one portion of the people, while the other
portion, little, if any less excited or delirious, erected their lofty
hickory poles, surmounted them with huge hickory brooms, and
displayed living roosters in vai'ious ways and in every conceivable
manner, as the representative of antagonism to the coon, while their
speeches about equaled in defamation of character the ribaldry of the
doggerels sung b}' the former. And all this hullabaloo, this frantic
madness, resulted from a determination of the party of the first part,
to prevent the re-election of Martin Van Buren and Richard M.
Johnson, and substituting for them General William H. Harrison and
John Tyler — this and nothing more! The question was, shall we
elect General Harrison or jNIartin Van Buren President.^ Licking
County decided by about 300 majority in favor of the latter. The
great gathering of the clans during the year, was in Newark, on the
4th of July, Thomas Corwin being the Whig orator of the occasion,
and John Brough the Democratic. Sam. White and Joshua Mathiot
were the chief local orators of the former and B. B. Taylor and James
Parker of the latter.
The delirium manifested itself in the oft-repeated gathering to-
gether by the populace, in immense meetings, at distances so remote
as to necessitate an absence of a number of days to the partial neglect
of their usual avocations. The further irrational manifestations of
the excited crowds while going to, and returning from those monster
meetings, as well as while present at them consisted of singing songs
and rolling balls — of riding from place to place in canoes on wheels,
and of hauling with oxen or horses, from town to town, miniature
log cabins, erected upon wheels partially covered with coon-skins,
LICKING COUNTY, OHIO. 63
(the ridge-pole of the roof being generally embellished with one or
more live coons,) and to whose corners were clinging, by way of
adornment, full grown statesmen, nibbling at corn-dodgers or sections
of Johnnycake, and sipping at a gourd of hard-cider, and at intervals
singing, on the highest attainable key, doggerel songs in the interest
of "Tippecanoe and Tyler too." A few of the Trades and Indus-
tries and Arts were also represented in miniature, on wheels, at the
great Conventions, and temporarily operated, sometimes while in
motion. Some large log-cabins, built of heavy logs, and furnished
with buckeye-chairs, were built in which to hold neighborhood meet-
ings, and in front of which the trunk of the largest accessible buck-
eye tree was erected, surmounted with a cider-barrel and a gourd
attached! One of these log-cabins, with the usual adjuncts, was
erected in Newark and used for many months for the practice of the
oratory, the eloquence, the minstrelsy peculiar to that year,
GUBERNATORIAL ELECTIONS.
Abstract of votes cast by Licking County, and for whom, at the
various Gubernatorial elections held since the County was organized.
TOTAL
CANDIDATES. YEAR. VOTE.
iSlO.
Return Jonathan Meigs 220
Thomas Worthington 179 39c)
1812.
Thomas Scott 433
Return Jonathan Meigs 206 639
18x4.
Thomas Worthington 553
Othniel Looker t 55S
1S16.
Thomas Worthington 640.
James Dunlap 20. 660
1818.
Ethan Allen Brown 915.
James Dunlap 71. 9S6.
64 CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF
Ethan Allen Brown 864.
William H. Harrison 238.
Jeremiah Morrow loS. 12 10,
William W. Irwin . . . 993.
Jeremiah Morrow 371.
Allen Trimble 2-^8. 1602.
1824.
Jeremiah Morrow ^ ^55-
Allen Trimble 521. 1676.
1S26.
Allen Trimble 2092.
Alexander Campbell 16.
Benjamin Tappan 11.
John Bigger 6. 2125.
1828.
John W. Campbell I79^-
Allen Trimble 1065. 28^6.
1S30.
Robert Lucas 1224.
Duncan Mc Arthur 1077. 2301.
1832.
Robert Lucas 2059.
Darius C. Lyman I599- 3^5^-
1834.
Robert Lucas 2201.
James Findlay i390- 359^-
1836.
Eli Baldwin 2578.
Joseph Vance 2136. 47 14-
LICKING COUNTY, OHIO. 65
1838.
Wilson Shannon 3162.
Joseph Vance 2218. 5380-
1840.
Wilson Shannon 35^0'
Thomas Corvvin 3353- ^933-
1842.
Wilson Shannon 34^5-
Thomas Corwin ^755-
Leicester Knigr 1^-5. 6433.
1844.
David Tod 3S56.
Mordecai Bartley 3443-
Leicester King 299. 759^'
1846.
David Tod 3i75-
William Bebb 302 1 .
Samuel Lewis 278. 6474.
1848.
John B. Weller 343S-
Seabury Ford : 3269. 6707.
1850.
Reuben Wood 3485-
William Johnson 2759.
Edward Smith 222. 6466.
1851.
Reuben Wood 3286.
Samuel F. Vinton 2546.
Samuel Lewis 201. ^033-
1853-
W^illiam Medill 3454-
Nelson Barrerc 1 136.
Samuel Lewis 1072. 5662.
66 CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF
William Medill 2530.
Salmon P. Chase 3128.
Allen Trimble 722. 53S0.
1807.
Henry B. Payne 3556-
Salmon P. Chase 2855.
Philadclphus Van Trump 147. 6558-
1859.
Rut us P. Ranney 343S-
William Dennison 3030. 6468.
1861.
Hugh J. Jevvett 3582.
David Tod 3oi4- 6596.
1S63.
John Brough 3^42-
Clement L. Valandingham 3^39- 7681
1865.
George W. Morgan 3So4-
Jacob D. Cox 3152- 6956.
1867.
Allen G. Thurman 444^-
Rutherford B. Hayes 3^ S5- 759^-
1869.
(icorge AV. Pendleton 44o6.
Rutherford 11 Hayes 3io7- 75 '3-
1 87 1.
George W. McCook 1.298.
Edward F. Noycs 3^ ^ 5-
Gideon T. Stewart i-. 7425*
LICKING COUNTY, OHIO. 67
1873-
William Allen 4^^ ^S-
Edward F. Noyes 2749.
Gideon T. Stewart 143.
Isaac Collins . ■ ■' 56. 7063.
1S75.
William Allen 5i4--
Rutherford B. Hayes 3617. S759.
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTORS OF LICKING COUNTY.
[Inadvertently omitting two names in giving the Ijst of Licking
Countv's Presidential Electors, on page 27. we give the list again,
this time in full, as follows.]
Daniel Humphrev served in 1S56
James R. Stanbery " " 1S64
William D. Hamilton '• " 186S
Isaac Smucker " " 1873
Edward M. Downer " " 1876
MAIL FACILITIES AND POST OFFICES.
The advance in JSIail facilities, and the increase in Post Offices
from time to time, well illustrate the growth of our County. During
the first five years after the first settlement of the County, Zanesville
was our nearest Post Office. Newark was then made a post town,
and some years thereafter a Post Office was established in Granville.
A weekly mail, carried on horseback, supplied these offices. A Post
Office was established at Utica about 1815, and not long thereafter
one was established in 'Hanover at Chester WelFs, and another be-
tween Newark and Utica, called Newton Mills. These were the
principal offices before 1825, except those at Johnstown, A^andorn's,
and Homer, numbering eight in all, which wx're chiefly supplied by
the two mail routes, one crossing the County East and West, the
other North and South, run by two-horse, and sometimes four-horse
stages, twice a week. After 1828 came the ponderous, fast-going
four-horse coach, running daily at about seven miles per hour. After-
wards came the packets, and the pony express — now we have our
principal mails carried dailv or twice a dav. in Rail Road Cars moving
68 CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF
at the rate of thirty miles an hour. Our Post Offices now numbering
thirty-five in all, there being one or more in almost every Township
of the County, so that probably not a single man in Licking County
but lives within less than five miles of a Post Office.
DISTINGUISHED J.ICKIXG PIONEERS.
William Dragoo was captured in the Monongahela country,
in 17S6, by the Indians, and taken to the Mad River, following a
trail up the Licking and Raccoon Valleys, through Raccoontown, an
Indian town on the Raccoon creek, situated near the present village
of Johnstown. He lived*with the Indians about twenty-five years
and afterwards was long a Citizen of Licking County, dying some
thirty years ago. He was married twice and raised two sets of child-
ren, the first being half Indiii.ns, their mother being a squaw. Billy
Dragoo, as he was familiarly called, never wholly abandoned his
half-Indian, half-civilized habits and modes of life, but continued to
spend most of his time in hunting, fishing and trapping. He also
continued, until near the close of his life, to wear silver ornaments in
his nose and ears, with other Indian trappings and jewelry- Mr.
Dragoo was an inoffensive man, esteemed by his acquaintances, and
left some descendants, who still remain in our County.
Patrick Gass had a temporary residence in Licking County.
He had been a member of the celebrated Expedition of Captains
Lewis and Clark, from St. Louis to the mouth of the Columbia river,
in the years 1S04-05-06, and acquired an extensive reputation as the
historian of said expedition. He died in Brooke County, West
Virginia, April 2, 1S70, in the ninety-ninth year of his age, having
been for many years, the last survivor of that famous expedition.
John Sparks was also a member of the Lewis and Clark expe-
dition, and lived for many years in Licking County. He died in
1S46, at the advanced age of eighty-eight years.
Amos II. Caffee came to Newark in iSii, and was afterwards
and until his death in 1862, a leading and public spirited citizen, and
valuable man. He held the offices of Clerk of the Court, County
Recorder, Post Master, Mayor of Newark and various other positions
of honor. Mr. Caftec was patriotic to the core, and rendered some
service to his country during the war of 1812, and none felt a deeper
interest in the perpetuation of our republican institutions, and in the
success of the Federal army during the Great Rebellion.
LICKING COUNTY, OHIO. 69
Hon. William Staxbery came to Newark in 1809, being then
a young lawyer from New York cit3^ He was a man of great talents
and recognized as the leading lawyer of Licking County for forty
years. Mr. Stanbery's professional services were in great demand,
and he attained great distinction at the Bar. He also served in the
State Senate in 1S24-26, and in Congress from 1827 to 1833. Mr.
Stanbery died at "Oakland," his country seat near Newark, January
23d, 1S73, at the advanced age of eighty-five years. He was a native
of Essex County, New Jersey, where he was born August loth,
1 788.
Judge Fidler settled in Licking County in iSii. He was a
West Virginian, and spent a number of years before his removal to
this County as an itinerant preacher. From 1801 to 1807 he minis-
tered to the Frederick, Pittsburgh, Erie, Clarksburg, Botetourt and
Staunton circuits. He was elected an Associate Judge in 1813 and
served as such until 1823. Judge Fidler left this County in 1835,
and located in Miami County, where he died in 1S49, ^^ ^^^^ ^§'^ °^
seventy-one years. He was a man of considerable ability, and of fair
character. His associates on the Bench of Judges were William
W'ilson, Henry Smith, William Halns, Anthony Pitzer and Zachariah
Davis.
Hon. Stephen C. Smith was a native of New Jersey, but
settled in Muskingum County, before the war of 1S12, served as
Associate Judge some time, and as Adjutant in Colonel Cass' regi-
ment. He also represented said County in the State Legislature in
1813-14 and 1815, and Licking County in 1826-27. He was a man
of ability.
Colonel John Hollister was a prominent settler near the
mouth of the Rocky Fork, in 1806, and was a man of wealth and in-
fluence, and made himself useful among the Pioneer settlers of our
County.
Zachariah Albaugh was a Revolutionary soldier, and was a
long time resident of Newton Township, where he died November
9th, 1857, at the ripe age of more than a hundred years!
Thomas McKean Thompson was an early settler and a gentle-
man of extensive information and wealth, and exercised considerable
influence in moulding the character of the people of McKean Town-
ship. He served the County as one of its Commissioners from 1822
to 1825. In his intercourse with mankind he was affable, polite, and
made himself interesting in conversation. He came from Pennsyl-
vania where he served a number of years in the capacity of private
70 CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF
Seci'etary to Governor McKean. He gave the name to the Town-
ship.
Colonel Cornelius Devinney was a man of mark in Mc-
Kean Township. He was a Virginia gentleman of the'" Old School"
— aftablc and pleasant in his manners, genial, companionable, intelli-
gent, of good conversational powers and a man withal of sterling
integrity. My recollections of him are of the kind I cherish for men
of frankness and candor.
Elias Howell was also a leading man. He was a well-inform-
ed gentleman who acquired great popularity among the people, and
influence and power over them by his affability, politeness and
sociality. He was collector of taxes from 1824 to 1837; Sheriff' from
1826 to 1830; State Senator from 1S30 to 1S32; and a member of
Congress from 1835 to 1S37. He lived many vcars in INIcKean Town-
ship and died there.
TiiEOPiiiLus Rees, a Welsh gentleman settled on the Welsh
Hills in i8o3, and was regarded as the Patriarch of his countrymen
within our County. He was a man of some education, of integrity,
of intelligence, good morals, of excellent Christian character, and of
great usefulness. He was one of the original members of the Welsh
Hills Baptist Church, organized September 4th, 1S08. His death
took place in February, 18 13, at the age of sixty-six years.
Dr. John J. Brice settled in Newark in 1803, and for the entire
period of more than one generation sustained himself in an extensive
practice of his profession. He was from Western Virginia, and had
been a student of the distinguished Dr. Benjamin Rush. Dr Brice
acquired large wealth and died in advanced life. He was the cotem-
porary of Colonel Robert Davidson, David Moore, John Cunning-
ham, Benjamin Briggs, Colonel W. W. Gault, Amos H. Caftee, Jona-
than Taylor, Joshua Mathiot, William Stanbery, Judge Searle,
Stephen McDougal, Judge Fidler, Bradley Buckingham, Stephen C.
Smith, Judge Davis and other prominent early-time citizens of Lick-
ing County.
William O'Banon was a man of great industry, energy and
enterprise and became a successful agriculturalist and stock-raiser.
His intelligence, frugality and thorough devotion to business were re-
warded with eminent success in the acquisition of property, for he
had attained to the general reputation of the largest land owner in
our County, at the time of his death, which occurred when he had
reached about the seventy-third year of his age. Judge O'Banon
was one of the early-time Justice's of the Peace of Madison Town-
LICKING COUNTY, OHIO. 71
ship, and served as an Associate Judge of our Common Pleas Court
irom 1825 to 1S39, a period of fourteen years. He discharged his
official duties with fidelity, and through life sustained a good rcj^uta-
tion. He was distinguished for the qualities that characterized the
better class of our early pioneer settlers, and was faithful in the dis-
charge of his duties as husband, father, citizen, neighbor, and friend.
Judge O'Bannon settled upon the banks of the Shawnee Run in
1S03, and remained there more than fifty years, and until the period
of his death.
Benjamin Green and Richard Pitzer, son-in-law of the
former, left their mountain home in Allegheny County, Maryland, in
1799, and came to the Northwest Territory. They spent one year
near the mouth of the Muskingum, and in the Spring of iSoo settled
on Shawnee run, two miles below the junction of the North and
South Forks of the Licking. Here they remained two years and
both settled in Hog Run Valley. The first named was a Revolution-
ary soldier, and both were first-class Pioneers. It was at the cabin
of Mr. Green, where, in 1S04, Rev. Asa Shinn organized the Pioneer
Church formed within the present limits of Licking County. Mr
Green became a Baptist Minister and died in 1S35 at the ripe age of
seventy-six 3-ears.
Rev. Joseph Thrap came from the " JMonongahela country,"
in 180:^, and settled near the Eastern borders of our County. He
was a INIethodist minister and a man of integrity, influence, character
and fair abilities, and made himself extensively useful. He died in
Muskingum County, May i3 1S66, aged ninety years.
Major Anthony Pitzer was a native of Virginia, removed to
Allegheny County, Maryland, and from thence to the Hog Run
settlement in 1803. He patriotically and gallantl}- served his coun-
try in the war of 1812, and secured the confidence of the public to
the extent of repeated elections to the Legislature, which body also
elected him an Associate Judge in 1S16. He died Mav 14th, 1S53, at
the age of eighty-six years.
Alexander Holden, Esq_., was a man of decision and marked
character, an early settler, who held many offices of trust and
responsibility, and was a leading man in Licking Township for many
years. He was elected to the Legislature in 1808.
Rev. Thomas Dickson Baird, pastor of the First Presbyterian
Church of Newark from 1815 to 1820, was a man of marked charac-
teristics and of great intellectual power. He was a native of Scot-
land, and possessed one of those massive, logical mi^ds, the
72 CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF
Dr. Chalmer's sort of intellects so rarely produced. Probably Rev.
Asa Shlnn and Bishop Hamline are the only men of all who ever
ministered steadily to Licking County congregations that attained to
greater distinction, or who gave evidence of possessing equal intel-
lectual force and vigor.
Judge Hexry Smith was one of Licking County's early and
useful citizens. He came in 1804, and was one of the Judges of our
Common Pleas Courts from 1809 to 1823. He died in advanced life.
His widow who was an admirable Pioneer woman, survived him
until October 23, 1867, having attained the great age of ninety-
seven years. Mrs. Priest, a near neighbor of Mrs. Smith, and like
her, an early Pioneer, also died near the same time, at the great age
of over one hundred years!
And it would be inexcusable in me if I failed to make honorable
mention in this connection of Mrs. Catharine Stadden, to whom we
are largely indebted for the preservation of many of the facts given
in this Centennial History of our Countv. She was a first-class
Pioneer woman, very liberally endowed with intellect and memory,
and placed us under many obligations by her readiness to communi-
cate w'hatcver of knowledge she possessed, relating to the early
history of the Licking Valley. Mrs. Stadden settled here in the year
1800, and died July 3d, 1870, in the ninety-first year of her age. She
was the w^ife and widow of Isaac Stadden, the first elected Magis-
trate within the present limits of Licking County.
PROMINENT MEN OF LICKING COUNTY.
I have already given brief sketches of some of our Pioneers, or
those w^ho acted prominent parts in this County during the first half
of our country's Centennial period. It may not be amiss also to give
the names of some of those who commenced their career here during
the first half and finished it during the last half of the Century. Con-
spicuous among this class were Captain Bradley Buckingham, David
Moore, Isaac Stadden, Colonel Robert Davidson, Rees Darlinton,
Benjamin Briggs, Major John Stewart, Colonel W. W. Gault, John
Cunningham, Esq., Stephen McDougal, Sereno Wright, Major Elisha
Warren, Judge Bancroft, William Hull, John Van Buskirk, Captain
Samuel Elliott, William Gavitt, Captain WMUard Warner, James
Gillespie, James Holmes, Colonel William Spencer, Richard Lam-
son, Peter Schmucker, Amos H. CafTcc, and manv others.
LICKING COUNTY, OHIO. 73
To give a measure of completeness to this Centennial History of
Licking County, I beg leave also to bring to notice some of the
gentlemen who have most conspicuously identified themselves with
our County during the latter half only of the Centennial period now-
closing. Prominent among the list given under this head are Jona-
than Taylor, Joshua Mathiot, and Daniel Duncan, who were all
elected to Congress, as well as toother jjositions of honor and respon-
sibility. Another trio of this class consisted of Israel Dille, Dr. J. N.
Wilson, and Lucius Case, all men of intelligence, extensive informa-
tion and talents who were largely influential in giving direction to
public sentiment. They were original thinkers, zealous investigators,
enthusiastic students. The two first named pushed their investiga-
tions in the direction of Philosophy and the Natural Sciences, with
diligence and a good degree of success. The tastes of the latter led
him to the study of Jurisprudence and Political Economy; hence he
became prominent as a law^yer, and as an active and influential de-
bater in the Constitutional Convention of 1851-53. Conspicuous also
among our latter-half-century-men was he who was familiarly called
Sam. White. He was an influential Legislator for a time, and more-
over attained to the highest reputation among us as a popular Orator,
and an unfaltering Friend of Freedom! Colonel B. B. Taylor too,
for a brief space as Senator and political Orator, filled a large space
in the j^ublic eye. James Parker and James R. Stanbery, also obtain-
ed distinction as public speakers, not only at the ^bar and before
political assemblies, but also as grave and dignified Senators. Among
others of our modern Legislators were Samuel D. King, George H.
Flood, P. N. O'Banon, Daniel Duncan, W. B. W^oods, Charles Fol-
lett, Willard Warner, Dr. Walter B. Morris, R. B. Truman, George
B. Smythe, John F. Follett, C. B. Giffin, William Parr, William Bell,
J. B. Jones, J. W. Owens, W. D. SmltTi, and others, who exerted a
degree of influence, as members of our State Legislature.
Among those of our citizens other than Legislators who have
"done the State some service," and acquired honorable distinction in
other departments of the public service, or inj^the line of their own
chosen pursuits, are Presidents Pratt, Going, Bailey, Hall and Talbott,
of Denison LTnivcrsity; Judges Scarle, Buckingham, Brumback and
Follett; W. D. Morgan, T. J. Davis, M. M. Munson,\L. B. Wing, A.
B. Clark, Dr. J. R. Black, T.J. Anderson, Colonel William Spencer,
William P. Kerr, J. W. Webb, C. II. Kibler, Rev.' Ebcnezer Buck-
ingham, Rev. Alexander Duncan, Dr. Echvard Stanbery, Rev. H. M.
U^rvey, ReV. Is.iac N. Walters, Dj-ZDaniel Marb'lc, and many ofhfcrs
74 CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF
that might be named, including the still living former residents of
Licking County, Samuel Park, Esq., of Illinois, a voluminous and
widely-known writer on various subjects; Dr. Z. C. McElroy, of
Zanesville, a strong, vigorous, original thinker, and an extensive con-
tributor to the best Medical Journals of Europe and America; and
Dr. T. B. Hood, of Washington City, who made an honorable, widely-
extended, and well-known rej^utation for himself while in the service
ot the Medical Department during the late rebellion, as w^ell as since
the close of the war, as an author, in the performance of his duties in
the Surgeon General's Department of the Government.
And I also avail myself of this occasion to make mention of
other gentlemen who were natives of Licking Countv, or resi-
dents of it in early life, that attained to a good degree of distinction
in other sections of our country, both in military and civil life. And
first of those whose military services brought them prominently be-
fore the country I name General Samuel R. Curtis, General William
S. Rosecrans, General Charles Griffin, General B. W. Brice, General
W. D. Hamilton, General Charles B. Woods, General Willard War-
ner, and (jcneral William B. Woods. Of eminent Civilians those
whose names occur to me at this moment, were Horatio J. Harris,
a Senator in Indiana, and a United vStates District Attorney in Mis-
sissippi; Ed. Rove, who attained to the ix)sition of President of the
Republic of Liberia; James F. Wilson, long a distinguished member
of Congress from Iowa; James B. Howell, a United States Senator
from Iowa; General Willard Warner, a member of the United States
vSenate from Alabama; Hon. William B. Woods, a Judge of the
Federal Courts in Louisiana and other Southern States; and George
H. Flood. American Minister to the Rei^ublic of Texas; "Johnny
Clem," a favorite Orderly of General Thomas' and now an officer in
the Regular Army, also acquired a National reputation as the youngest
and smallest soldier in the Union Army, as well as for gallant con-
duct. Colonel W. H. Hollister. too has acquired wide-spread fame
as one of the largest of American land-owners and stock-raisers. He
is a native of Licking County, now a citizen of California. Thomas
Jones, the Sculptor, and Rev. Dr. Rosecrans, the jiopular Roman
Catholic Bishop, are also entitled to mention in this connection, the
latter being a native, and the former a resident in early life, of Lick-
ing County. Mr. Jones has been a resident of Cincinnati, for many
years, and has a National reputation. Bishop Rosencrans is now an
honored citizen of Columbus, enjoving the confidence of the entire
communit\-.
LICKING COUNTY, OHIO. 75
OUR NEWSPAPER ENTERPRISES.
It will be impracticable to do little more tban to f^ivc tbe names
of the Newspapers that have been published in Licking County.
The first attempt to publish a Newspaper among us was made by
Benjamin Briggs, who, in 1820, established the Advocate, which
being still published has had a continuous existence for fifty-six
vcars. The second pajDer published was called the Wanderer. It
was started in Granville in 1S22, by Sereno Wright. It died in a
year or two. The Newark Gazette, established in Newark in
1827, by Rufus Henry and Dr. Daniel Marble, was the third paper
started in Licking County. The Gazette, under a variety of names
has had a continuous existence of nearly half a century, and now ap-
pears as the Newark Weekly American, Clark & Underwood
being the proprietors, publishers and editors.
The Newark Banner is a new paper issued in Newark, once
a week, by Milton R. Scott. It is devoted to Temperance, local
interests, also to general and home news. The Denison Collegian
is a semi-monthly collegiate publication, issued in Granville, con-
ducted by a committee of Students of Denison University. The sub-
scribers to the various weekly papers and to the Denison Col-
legian, would probably aggregate about six thousand. That the
newspaper and periodical press of the country is an extensive and
potent educator, for good or evil, and that it has been, and is now.
largely influential in forming, leading and directing public opinion
on the various subjects that claim attention, and on all questions that
come up for discussion, docs not admit of a doubt. It was the re-
peated remark of Benjamin Briggs, the " Nestor of the Licking
County Press," as he was frequently styled, that the Newspaper
literature of the country at large was the cheapest and meanest litera-
ture extant. Whether that opinion was correct or not of newspaper
literature, generally, I do not assume to decide, but that the news-
paper and periodical press has been and continues to be a power,
under our free institutions, does not admit of a doubt, and therefore
being thus potential "for weal or woe," it becomes a matter of great
importance that an engine of such overwhelming power be operated
in the interests of Patriotism, of Truth, of Virtue and Morality.
I have given the titles of only the five Newspapers now being
published in our County, but as many others have existed that arc
now "no more," the history of the Newspaper press of Licking
County, would be incomplete without a brief mention at least of the
)6 CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF
others that played their brief part on the stage and then "went out."
I present the titles they bore, as near as I can from memory, and in
the order of their publication.
The Constitutionalist was started in 1S37. ^'"^ ^^43 '^^ name
was changed to the Licking PIerald, and in 1S56 it took the name
of the Newark Times, which it retained until 1859, when it died.
The Harrisonian was published as a campaign paper in 1840; so
also was the Democratic Rasp. In 1842 the Laborer was started
but having but little support it soon "went under." The Oriental
EvANic had a short-lived career in 1845; so also had the Spy, pub-
lished a few years later.
The Granville Intelligencer followed next, in 1847, '^"^^ ^^
was afterwards called the Licking Bee. In 1S57 the Denisonian
was started by the Colleg-e" boys in Granville; and was soon follow-
ed by the Herbarium, which was edited by the young ladies of the
Kerr Seminary. The four last named were published in Granville.
Next came the Voice of The People in 1S60, followed by the
True Democrat in 1862, and by the Licking Record in 1863. In
1866 came the Reveille and Wool-Grower. The Sower, also the
Monthly Voice, two Swedenborgian papers had each a short life.
The Collegian, was started in 1867 and in 1S69 took the name of
Denison Collegian. Papers By The Way died long ago and so
also did all the Daily's that were ever attempted in Newark.
a home for the friendless.
Another incident or fact in our County's history, I propose to
record, and it affords me great gratification to do so.
It entered into the liberal mind of Mr. Lucius Humphrey, one of
our most philanthropic citizens, to signalize one of the closing years
of our Centennial period, (and which also proved to be one of the
closing years of his own life,) by generously donating a tract of ten
acres of land, situated within the corporate limits of Columbus, to
the noble purpose of establishing a " Home for the Friendless," in
Licking County. The liberal donor of the munificent gift selected
Judges Buckingham and FoUett, and the writer hereof, as Trustees
to carry his benevolent purpose into effect, who promptly accepted
the trust, entered into the possession of the property, and will as soon
LICKING COUNTY, OHIO. 77
as practicable, make sale of it and then proceed to give effect to the
noble purpose of the Friend of the Friendlcsa, who, though dead,
will yet speak, and more than speak, in behalf of the widow, the
orphan, and "those who have no helper."
CONCLUSION.
Let me say in conclusion that I have thus endeavored to present
you an opportunity to take a sort of a " birds-eye view " of Licking
County, from the beginning of this Centennial period, and through
each and all of the passing years thereof, down to the present time —
even down to this anniversary of American Independence, which
to-day closes the first century of our Country's Freedom. It would
be a work of supererogation to hold up to view before vou the
PRESENT in sharp contrast with the condition of things existing dur-
ing any one of the decades of the past century. If I have not failed
in my purpose that contrast has been present before you, through-
out the entire time I have occupied in giving you the facts, incidents
and events contained in this Centennial History of our County.
Suffice it only to say that at the beginning of the Century, that is, in
1776, the territory that now constitutes Lickmg County was a " waste
howling wilderness" — no white man then lived or ever had lived
here — our County, for more than a quarter of a Century, yea for the
entire period thereafter, of a full generation, had no existence as a
civil organization — what Licking County is now, at the termination
of this Centennial year, in all its varied interests, I have attempted to
tell you.
Seventy-eight years have transpired since the first white settle-
ment w^as made within the present territorial limits of Licking Coun-
ty, and but one man remains with us who was himself personally
connected with that event — who was "part and parcel" of the
Hughes and Ratliff colony of twenty-one persons that squatted on
the "Bowling Green," in the Spring of 1798. He was born in
Harrison County, Virginia, in 1796, nnd has therefore attained to the
mature 3'cars of an octogenarian. In 1798, our now aged Pioneer,
then two years old, was placed in one end of a salt sack, a hole being
cut into it to admit him, his head protruding through it, and his
brother being similarlv placed in the other end of the sack, which
was then thrown across a horse with a pack-saddle upon it. Thus
were two of Captain Elias Hughes' thirteen children brought to the
Bowling Green, only one of whom, (Jonathan.) survives, his life
78 CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF
running through and coverhig the entire jDcriocl of the occupancy by
the white race, of the territory now constituting the County of Lick-
ing! I deem it appropriate to close this Centennial History witli
this alhision to the salt-sack boy of 179S, and the now venerable
octogenarian Pioneer veteran of this Centennial occasion, Colonel
Jonathan Hughes, who happily is with us to-day in full health
and visfor!
LICKING COUNTY, OHIO. 79
INDEX.
PAGE,
Agricultural, Statistics, (Farms, Animals, Products, &c.,) 35.
"Appleseed, Johnny," and Chaplain Jones, 48
Assessors, (County,) 32
Auditors, (County,) 32
Camp-]Meetings in 1S25 56
Celebration, (at the Licking- Summit in 1835,) 55
Church Statistics 40
Collectors, (of Taxes,) 32
Circular Hunt in 1S23 49
Coroners, (County,) 34
Civil History 11
Clerks of Common Pleas Courts . . 29
Commissioners, (County,) 30
Commissioner's Clerks 31
Conclusion 77
Congressmen, (list of,) 24
Diamond, Peter, (Farce of Hanging and yet not Hanging,). ... 57
Educational Statistics and Interests 37
Electors, (Presidential,) 67
Elliott, (Judge,) and the Indians 42
Enemies of the Early Settlers 44
Extent, Topography and Streams of Licking County 7
First Settlers and First Settlements 11
Granville Colony's first Sabbath in the Wilderness 46
Gubernatorial Elections from iSio to 1S76, inclusive 63
Home for the Friendless 76
Horse-Racing in 1825 58
Hughes and the Indian Horse-Thieves 43
Incident ol iSio 47
Incident, (an Early-Time,) 49
Incidents 42
Independence Day in Newark in 1807 46
Indians 6
Inhabitants of Newark and of Licking County 34
Internal Improvements, (Canal, Turnpike and Rail Roads,). ... 37
Jones, (Chaplain,) Rev. David 48
Judges and Clerk of Court of Common Pleas in 1S08 18
Judges, (President and Associates,) 27
Judges. (Probate,) 28
8o
Licking Summit Celebration, July 4th, 1825 5-
Mail Facilities and Post Offices 67
Marshals, (to take the Census,) 3-5
Manufactures 36
Members of Constitutional Conventions 27
Members of the Legislature, (popular branch) 25
Memorable Year, (1825,) 53
Mound-Builders 3
Munson and Spencer 61
Newspapers, (titles of) 75
Patriotism of Licking County 59
Pioneers, (distinguished,) of Licking County 68
Pioneers, their Characteristics, &c., 4
Pioneer Preachers and Church Organizations 19.
Population of Newark and of Country Villages 21
Presidential Electors 67.
Prominent Men of Licking County 72.
Prosecuting Attorneys 29.
Refugee Lands — United States' Military Lands 10.
Recorders, (County,) 30.
Settlers of the year iSoo i.
Settlers anol Settlements of the year 1801 14.
Settlers and Settlements of the year 1802 15.
Settlers and Settlements from 1S02 to 1809 16.
Senators, (State,) 2J.
Sheriffs zi
Social Organizations; (Intellectual, Literary, Agricultural &c.,) . 3.'
Squirrel Hunts 5
Statistics, (Agricultural) 34, 3
Storm, (Burlington.) 53
Sunday in Newark, in 1803 44
Surveyors, (County,) 34-.
Taxes, (Amount Collected in Licking County,) 35
Townships — when organized — when settled 20
Townships — number of Inhabitants — when settled — and by whom 23
Treasurers, (County,) 33
United States' Military Lands — Refugee Lands 10
Villages — when laid out and by whom 22
Whirlwind, (Political,) 61
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